Asia pivots toward plants for protein as coronavirus stirs meat safety fears

[snoop1130]

Asia pivots toward plants for protein as coronavirus stirs meat safety fears

By Farah Master

 

A pork cutlet dish made with plant-based meat Omnipork is displayed for the camera at vegan restaurant Kind Kitchen in Hong Kong, China April 17, 2020. Picture taken April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Joyce Zhou

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Demand for plant-based protein foods is surging in Asia, suppliers say, as suspicion over possible links between wild animal meat and the new coronavirus drives some consumers, particularly in Hong Kong and mainland China, to rethink diets.

 

Though still a tiny business compared to Asia’s giant meat supply chain, vegetarian alternatives to meat, dairy and seafood are gaining growing custom from people like Hong Kong-based fitness trainer Mike Lee.

 

“Because of the coronavirus, people have started to pay more attention to their diet and health,” said Lee, 40, serving up burritos in his kitchen made using a plant-based pork alternative. “People now are more afraid of getting sick.”

 

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, consultancy Euromonitor last year predicted China’s ‘free from meat’ market, including plant-based products meant to replace meat, would be worth nearly $12 billion by 2023, up from just under $10 billion in 2018.

 

That had already attracted interest from leading U.S. players like Beyond Meat (BYND.O) and Impossible Foods, with coffee chain Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) and Yum China’s (YUMC.N) KFC fast food chain announcing plans this week to get in on the act with plant-based product promotions.

 

“Ironically and unfortunately we have such a dramatic outbreak, devastating everyone and everywhere, which becomes this massive catalyst,” said David Yeung, founder of Hong Kong-based Green Monday, which supplies products from Beyond Meat across Asia. The global death toll from the pandemic has now topped 170,000, with more than 4,600 reported dead in mainland China.

 

Amid restaurant closures, social distancing restrictions and growing numbers of people cooking more at home, online food purchases have surged in many markets in Asia: Distributors say plant-based goods, mostly priced competitively compared with animal products, have proved no exception. Many parts of Asia have long used non-meat ingredients like tofu to produce meat-like food experiences.

 

‘OMNIPORK’, MUNG BEAN EGGS

 

China remains the world’s biggest consumer of meat, with a retail value equal to roughly $170 billion annually, according to Euromonitor. On that scale, meat will dwarf alternative products for many years to come.

 

But Green Monday’s Yeung said his company’s online sales have more than doubled in the last two months, citing the impact of the coronavirus: Among the most popular purchases is a pork substitute called Omnipork, used in dumplings, noodles and rice, while Beyond burgers, plant-based chicken nuggets and non-dairy milks have also been doing well, he said.

 

JUST, a San Francisco-based company that makes egg products from mung beans, says its sales on Chinese ecommerce platforms JD.com and Tmall of JUST Egg have surged 30% since the coronavirus outbreak.

 

At Impossible Foods, Nick Halla, senior vice president for international, said China’s need for meat options was growing rapidly and the country is their most important target market globally.

 

Impossible Foods is working through the regulatory process to enter mainland China but debuted its replacement beef product to 40,000 consumers in November last year at a trade show in Shanghai.

 

Meanwhile restaurant firm Yum China’s KFC chain will sell plant-based fried chicken for the first time in China at three outlets in a promotion between April 28 and 30. The nuggets will be supplied by U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill Ltd [CARGIL.UL].

 

And Starbucks said on Monday it would roll out a new plant-based lunch menu in China this week, launching Beyond Meat’s products. The world’s biggest coffee chain has now reopened most of its stores in China.

 

CHINA’S BEYOND MEAT?

 

Online food group Deliveroo, which delivers meals including Impossible burgers around Hong Kong, said first-quarter growth in orders of vegan food in the city matched a doubling in orders of other food compared with a year earlier.

 

On the mainland, China’s Zhenmeat - sometimes referred to by state media as the country’s answer to Beyond Meat - is betting on sales booming once restaurants resume normal business across the country.

 

Vince Lu, chief executive and founder, said the company is planning to expand into Shanghai and Shenzhen from Beijing, where it currently sells its beef substitute products in 50 restaurants.

 

“After the coronavirus, Chinese people have more consciousness not to eat wild animals and eat the right sources of protein,” said Lu.

 

In his Hong Kong kitchen, fitness trainer Lee said the coronavirus has brought huge change to life in the city, including dining habits.

 

“One year ago, when we were sick, no matter it was cold, flu or fever, we still went out with friends and ate hotpot together with no problem at all,” he said. “But now if you have a mild sore throat, when you cough a bit, people next to you will jump ten metres away from you.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-22

 

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[ukrules]

32 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Demand for plant-based protein foods is surging in Asia, suppliers say, as suspicion over possible links between wild animal meat and the new coronavirus drives some consumers, particularly in Hong Kong and mainland China, to rethink diets.

Utter rubbish. If they've stopped eating meat it's because the prices have gone up due to shortages.

 

Are there shortages? Nope......

 

Ah, no - I've found the reason this article exists, it's pro Chinese propaganda, here it is towards the end :

 

32 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

“After the coronavirus, Chinese people have more consciousness not to eat wild animals and eat the right sources of protein,” said Lu.

Lol ????????????

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by ukrules

[BritManToo]

All they have to do is stop eating bats, pangolin and other daft animals.

Edited April 22, 2020 by BritManToo

[Antonymous]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All they have to do is stop eating bats, pangolin and other daft animals.

 

Yeah, they should stick to dolphins, elephants and other smarter animals.

[rasmus5150]

Great news - more meat on the dinner plate for me.

[Antonymous]

 

I believe that the pivot towards plant protein and away from meat is a genuine trend worldwide. Not sure about WuFlu being a catalyst for that.

 

The first stages are food processing companies trying to make plant protein look like meat. As a vegetarian for many years I've never appreciated that because I simply don't like to eat animals, or fake cadavers.

 

The next stage in the evolution of diet is to produce delicious dishes and recipes using plants that look like plants, or at least aren't processed into something unrecognisable. I like that. Way to go.

[ukrules]

6 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

Great news - more meat on the dinner plate for me.

Keep away from the bats and you won't have any problems.

[z42]

These comments are despicable. Meat is terrible from a health, environmental, and ethical standpoint.

 

A move to plant based protein is absolutely necessary to stop not only future zoonotic diseases but also the enormous climate change causing emissions that animal agriculture contributes.

 

Also the pro meat people say that animals are killed using humane slaughter methods.

Humane slaughter is an oxymoron, it's like humane rape or humane assault.

 

People have a duty to go plant based. It is a VERY small price to pay for a better future for all life forms on earth.

Edited April 22, 2020 by z42

[rasmus5150]

[Justgrazing]

6 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

After the coronavirus, Chinese people have more consciousness not to eat wild animals and eat the right sources of protein,” said Lu.

Yea yea whatever .. They might be able to dress up plants as burgers and nuggets but I've yet to see a full on seafood buffet made of mung beans .. 

[TooBigToFit]

I'm all for eating more vegetarian but restaurants just don't offer anything attractive. The picture in the article looks good. If there were more availability people would eat it. Where's that impossible burger they were promoting? A place like Los Angeles/Hollywood has amazing vegan restaurants so its easy to move into that type of eating. The supply of good tasting vegan food just isn't there. And there needs to be vegan fast food restaurants. Vegans, if you want to change the world, you need to get busy.

[Roadman]

10 hours ago, z42 said:

These comments are despicable. Meat is terrible from a health, environmental, and ethical standpoint.

 

A move to plant based protein is absolutely necessary to stop not only future zoonotic diseases but also the enormous climate change causing emissions that animal agriculture contributes.

 

Also the pro meat people say that animals are killed using humane slaughter methods.

Humane slaughter is an oxymoron, it's like humane rape or humane assault.

 

People have a duty to go plant based. It is a VERY small price to pay for a better future for all life forms on earth.

I gather you are not talking about plant material highly proccessed either in the lab or in a factory as the issue just like processed cuts of meat is the additives are what will do you harm.

Is it where the vegans are heading with lots of soy based products that require the continued cutting down of more South American native forests, encouraged moreso with idiots like Trump slapping tarriffs on China thereby given market opporunity to South American peasant farmers with their matchetes and matches?

Or perhaps its organic plant food which has no quality standards to trace its authenticity claims and which still allows for plant based sprays that are some of the deadliest in the world to both humans and bees?

Or perhaps you just did not know that there are countries in the world that raise animals in a natural outdoor environment on lands that are unsuitable for cropping?

I guess you might know that even 60 years ago prior heavy food processing practice it was common sensible health knowledge then to have your dinner plate one quarter carbs, half of five different veges and a quarter of meat with the emphasis on one word..."whole". And fruit for desert.

And they say humans are getting more intelligent. 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Roadman

[rvaviator]

19 minutes ago, Roadman said:

I gather you are not talking about plant material highly proccessed either in the lab or in a factory as the issue just like processed cuts of meat is the additives are what will do you harm.

Is it where the vegans are heading with lots of soy based products that require the continued cutting down of more South American native forests, encouraged moreso with idiots like Trump slapping tarriffs on China thereby given market opporunity to South American peasant farmers with their matchetes and matches?

Or perhaps its organic plant food which has no quality standards to trace its authenticity claims and which still allows for plant based sprays that are some of the deadliest in the world to both humans and bees?

Or perhaps you just did not know that there are countries in the world that raise animals in a natural outdoor environment on lands that are unsuitable for cropping?

I guess you might know that even 60 years ago prior heavy food processing practice it was common sensible health knowledge then to have your dinner plate one quarter carbs, half of five different veges and a quarter of meat with the emphasis on one word..."whole". And fruit for desert.

And they say humans are getting more intelligent. 

I am not sure I agree with that statement

 

 

But I would say that Phones and cars are ...... ????

Edited April 22, 2020 by rvaviator
edit

[Mulambana]

11 hours ago, ukrules said:

Utter rubbish. If they've stopped eating meat it's because the prices have gone up due to shortages.

Aren't wild animals meat more expensive that chicken and pigs? I am not sure about China but my friends in India tell me that chicken prices have dropped 1/10th of what used to be in pre-corona days. Most indians get their proteins from legumes and lentils and the prices have almost doubled. 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Mulambana

[bluesofa]

6 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Yea yea whatever .. They might be able to dress up plants as burgers and nuggets but I've yet to see a full on seafood buffet made of mung beans .. 

'mung beans'? Sounds like you've got a cold.

[Grusa]

Bottom line to all this crapolla:- There are too many people on the planet, it is unsustainable, regardless of what they eat, what they drive, and what phones/guns/toys they have.

 

Wars,  pestilence and climate change are simply the planet fighting back, as best it can. It's worked before, it will again. We just don't know when.

[Iron Tongue]

14 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Yea yea whatever .. They might be able to dress up plants as burgers and nuggets but I've yet to see a full on seafood buffet made of mung beans .. 

I think the days of buffet style restaurants have gone the way of dinosaurs and hand shakes.

[Thailand]

Sure, until the next deadly virus is proven to come from a rogue cabbage.

[z42]

9 hours ago, Roadman said:

I gather you are not talking about plant material highly proccessed either in the lab or in a factory as the issue just like processed cuts of meat is the additives are what will do you harm.

Is it where the vegans are heading with lots of soy based products that require the continued cutting down of more South American native forests, encouraged moreso with idiots like Trump slapping tarriffs on China thereby given market opporunity to South American peasant farmers with their matchetes and matches?

Or perhaps its organic plant food which has no quality standards to trace its authenticity claims and which still allows for plant based sprays that are some of the deadliest in the world to both humans and bees?

Or perhaps you just did not know that there are countries in the world that raise animals in a natural outdoor environment on lands that are unsuitable for cropping?

I guess you might know that even 60 years ago prior heavy food processing practice it was common sensible health knowledge then to have your dinner plate one quarter carbs, half of five different veges and a quarter of meat with the emphasis on one word..."whole". And fruit for desert.

And they say humans are getting more intelligent. 

Seriously you need to get educated about plant based diets.

Meat is not necessary for human health or optimal performance. Several dietetic associations around the world list plant based diets as being nutritionally adequate for all stages of life.

 

And Yale University did a study that concluded that 80% of soy crops grown in South America go to feed livestock which are raised for meat.

 

Ethics, environment and health are all served better with plant based diets. 

 

All I will say is open your eyes. Meat based protein isn't a sustainable long term option as it is incredibly inefficient to produce. 

 

Harvard University did a comparison across Protein sources. Animal proteins were all ranked as more inefficient to produce than whole food (unprocessed), plant based sources.

[natway09]

This has just turned into a wonderful opportunity for the vegan photoshoot.

The reality for the world is that this virus has probably come from a REAL wild animal,

which after death has been transported possibly thousands of KM in non refridgerated  

transport over weeks, skinned on arrival, possibly even some of the entrails dried & marketed 

as well with no thought that it is putrid.

That needs to be stopped.

We know the Chinese believe in hokus pokus over wild animals, monkeys, tigers balls, Rhino horn 

etc all believed to have powers, which is absolute rubbish.

Stop demand,,,, stop the slaughter.

Only the President of China can do that & Governments of other countries that supply like

Africa,Thailand, Laos, Burma, Malaysia to name but a few could help by making trafficking of

this <deleted> a criminal offence & charging not only the transport people but the bribe reciever who looks the other way 

I know I am dreaming