Many believe that since plant-based meats can benefit the environment, federal funding should support them.
Animal meat has received federal funding for a long period, and people supporting it wonder why the same is not being given to the research of plant-based meat ventures like Beyond Meat that has created a new 3.0 type of plant-based burger.
While actual version calculations are not clearly given on Beyond Meat’s products, it does come with labels claiming that it has improved taste and 35% less fat than animal ground beef. A comparison with ground beef is given below.
BEYOND TRADITIONAL BEEF
| 80/20 ground beef | Beyond 2.0 | Beyond 3.0 | |
| Fat | 22.6g | 20g | 14g |
| Sat. Fat | 8.5g | 6g | 5g |
| Calories | 287 | 270 | 230 |
| Protein | 19.4g | 20g | 20g |
These claims can’t be definitive, like storage costs or CPU speeds. It’s the food we are talking about based on specs, traditions, and perception. The new product also states that it is juicier and meatier than before, which are not quantifiable traits.
Beyond is constantly at a price parity race with animal beef. The new version costs $9.99 for four patties which makes one patty cost $2.50. In comparison, even fairly priced patties at Target cost around %3.15 per patty. At its launch, one patty was priced at $4, and now its limited pack prices one patty at $1.60. One ends up wondering what the production cost really is given the fluctuating prices.
In New York Times 31st March edition, Bruce Friedrich stated that we wouldn’t accomplish Biden’s zero-emission goals if emissions released from meat production are handled. Although retail prices and investor funding help out the industry, the biggest support is yet to be gained by the federal government.
USDA-administered Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board has continuously provided support for the research and promotion of animal meat. At a rate of $1 examination on each cow sold for slaughter, providing around $ 77 million a year. Which, as a result, supports the expansion of the beef business. This has caused a $12 for every dollar increase in beef’s demand over the past few years, a support that hasn’t been provided to plant-based meat yet.