What's the need of fake meat?

One of my favourite brands is Quorn – a company that produces meat substitutes, made out of a protein-rich fungi. It is food, so can you classify it as design? I think so.

History

During the 1960s, it was predicted that by the 1980s there would be a shortage of protein-rich foods. In response to this Rank Hovis McDougall (RHM) Research Centre tried to solve this problem by investigating protein-rich alternatives. The filamentous fungus, Fusarium venenatum, was discovered in a soil sample in 1967, which was sold in the UK under the name Quorn in 1993.

Production

Quorn is made from the soil mould Fusarium venenatum and produced in large sterile fermentation tanks. Glucose and fixed nitrogen are added as a food for the fungus, as are vitamins and minerals to improve the food value of the product.

The product is dried and mixed with egg albumen, which acts as a binder. It is then textured, giving it some of the grained character of meat, and pressed into shape.

The final Quorn product is high in protein and dietary fibre and is low in saturated fat. The high fibre and low calorie content is better for adults than babies and too much fibre can cause flatulence.

The carbon footprint of Quorn Frozen Mince in the UK is claimed to be at least 80% less than that of beef.

Vegan

In late 2011, the first vegan Quorn product was released, called the Quorn Vegan Burger, available initially only in the US. The company said it was also reducing its use of eggs overall, using 3.5 million fewer eggs since 2010. The first range of vegan Quorn in the UK, of which there are currently only six such products, was launched in October 2015.

Great Design?

People argue, why there is a need for meat substitutes. If some people don’t like meat, why do they eat fake meat?

But most people, who are vegetarian or vegan, avoid meat and dairy out of moral reasons or due to allergies, not because they don’t like the taste. The transition from a previous meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet can be difficult, mostly due to habits. What should I eat? How can I cook a meal without meat? What’s about my favourite recipes?

Using Quorn, you don’ have to change these habits. You can cook most of your old recipes, by just replacing the meat with the Quorn substitute. It will taste a bit different, but similar and tasty enough to make the transition easier. It is also an amazing source of protein, while being low in calories and fat. Additionally, it is cheap and easy to cook.

The brand Quorn is extremely environmentally aware. Beside the fact, that they reduce the carbon footprint of every single user by nearly 90% per meal, Quorn focusses on a reduction of packaging. It joined WRAP's Courtauld 2015 initiative to reduce waste and emissions by one-fifth. It is working closely with WRAP to cut waste throughout our supply chain and in the home. Quorn is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and all their palm oil is certified by RSPO, working to have all their palm oil fully traceable and sustainable. It additionally tries to reduce its water usage. Producing Quorn uses less water than producing other protein sources, and they are still cutting back on their water use through efficiency projects.

I think Quorn is great design, because it discovered a problem and solved it in an economical viable, environmental friendly and ethical way. It is not more expensive than previous products and it doesn’t require any change of habit of the user. It is healthier than meat and easier to cook with.

Conclusion

It is a product, which uses innovation and science to create a Win-Win-Win situation.

Win for the company