183
and minerals, meat consists of higher proportion of saturated fatty acids than polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The PUFAs such as n-3 PUFAs and α-linolenic
acid (ALNA C18:3) are capable of reducing pathogenesis of many diseases such as
cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
These n-3 PUFAs and α-linolenic acid are present in plant proteins than animal
proteins (Jimenez-Colmenero 2007). The WHO prescribes a diet for CVDs patients
in which fat must be between 15% and 30% of the calories, saturated fat must be
less than 10%, and intake of cholesterol must be less than 300 mg/day (WHO 2003).
But the consumption of meat on a regular basis by normal persons and elderly persons and for CVDs patients impacts their health badly.
11.4 Sustainable Diet
The concept of sustainable diet is to eliminate poverty and also reduce its impact in
the environment. The diet must also eradicate poor health outcomes and the nutritional insecurity (Johnson et al. 2014). The FDA also suggests the same by naming
it as climate-smart agriculture through which it combats food security and environment (FAO 2010). The above-said guidelines can be followed by reducing meat
consumption and livestock production which utilizes the land resources, the largest
emitter of methane as it leads to land degradation and deforestation. Thus researchers are looking for a replacement of meat with some other food products, with less
harm to the environment. The products which come under these are meat substitutes, meat analogs, meat replacers, and meat alternatives (Hoek et al. 2011).
The main sources of the alternatives can be plants (soy, pea, oat), animals (milk,
insects), or microbial products (mycoproteins) (Smetana et al. 2015). The ethical
and environmental concerns made this meat substitute industries to expand rapidly,
and the market also predicted to have a turnover of $6 billion in 2022 (Ritchie et al.
2017; Godfray et al. 2018). The success of the meat substitute industry is because of
the nutritional effects it brings in the diet. Replacing meat in a diet is always easy
when the meat substitutes fit the taste and nutritional effect. The most important is
to establish the popularization of meat substitutes and also to enhance the public
awareness about the dietary impacts.
11.5 Purpose of Searching for Meat Alternatives
Replacement for meat by substitutes has existed for many years for halal and kosher
markets. The meat protein replacement has gained interest particularly from the end
of the last century due to emergence of many diseases to the livestock such as mad
cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease. This leads to much concern about using
meat protein from those infected animals. Religious concerns also lead to the
11 Fungi: A Potential Future Meat Substitute
and minerals, meat consists of higher proportion of saturated fatty acids than polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The PUFAs such as n-3 PUFAs and α-linolenic
acid (ALNA C18:3) are capable of reducing pathogenesis of many diseases such as
cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
These n-3 PUFAs and α-linolenic acid are present in plant proteins than animal
proteins (Jimenez-Colmenero 2007). The WHO prescribes a diet for CVDs patients
in which fat must be between 15% and 30% of the calories, saturated fat must be
less than 10%, and intake of cholesterol must be less than 300 mg/day (WHO 2003).
But the consumption of meat on a regular basis by normal persons and elderly persons and for CVDs patients impacts their health badly.
11.4 Sustainable Diet
The concept of sustainable diet is to eliminate poverty and also reduce its impact in
the environment. The diet must also eradicate poor health outcomes and the nutritional insecurity (Johnson et al. 2014). The FDA also suggests the same by naming
it as climate-smart agriculture through which it combats food security and environment (FAO 2010). The above-said guidelines can be followed by reducing meat
consumption and livestock production which utilizes the land resources, the largest
emitter of methane as it leads to land degradation and deforestation. Thus researchers are looking for a replacement of meat with some other food products, with less
harm to the environment. The products which come under these are meat substitutes, meat analogs, meat replacers, and meat alternatives (Hoek et al. 2011).
The main sources of the alternatives can be plants (soy, pea, oat), animals (milk,
insects), or microbial products (mycoproteins) (Smetana et al. 2015). The ethical
and environmental concerns made this meat substitute industries to expand rapidly,
and the market also predicted to have a turnover of $6 billion in 2022 (Ritchie et al.
2017; Godfray et al. 2018). The success of the meat substitute industry is because of
the nutritional effects it brings in the diet. Replacing meat in a diet is always easy
when the meat substitutes fit the taste and nutritional effect. The most important is
to establish the popularization of meat substitutes and also to enhance the public
awareness about the dietary impacts.
11.5 Purpose of Searching for Meat Alternatives
Replacement for meat by substitutes has existed for many years for halal and kosher
markets. The meat protein replacement has gained interest particularly from the end
of the last century due to emergence of many diseases to the livestock such as mad
cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease. This leads to much concern about using
meat protein from those infected animals. Religious concerns also lead to the
11 Fungi: A Potential Future Meat Substitute