Researcher and Good Food Institute associate director answers questions about the new wave of alternative and plant-based meats being introduced.
Liz Specht, Ph.D.’ 14, biological sciences, is the associate director of science and technology at the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit organization that supports plant-based and cultivated alternatives to conventional meat products.
As a firm believer in the power of technology to enable society to meet growing food demands in a sustainable way, Specht analyzes areas of technological need within plant-based and cultivated meat innovation and forecasts future growth bottlenecks. She has a decade of academic research experience in synthetic biology, recombinant protein expression and development of genetic tools.
Q. Can you explain why the new wave of alternative and plant-based meats, such as the Impossible Burger, is such a phenomenon?
A. The tidal wave of interest in plant-based meat over the last few years has arisen because these products are no longer catering simply to the vegetarian or vegan segments of the population. They appeal to the growing category of “flexitarian” consumers, those who don’t eschew meat altogether but who are seeking to reduce their meat consumption, who now comprise upwards of 50 percent of consumers, according to some studies. In order to appeal to these consumers, the products need to really deliver on that taste and texture of meat — and that’s exactly what these newer products do.
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