QUALITALY_125

OCT. NOV. 2021 XIV defatted peanut flour, yuba and soy-based textured vegetable proteins that layer the thin skin that forms over boiled (soy) milk. Replacing meat with plant-based protein also gives rise to new diets. Legumes and products made from soy, wheat gluten, nuts, vegetables, or combinations of all of these, sit alongside plant-based or lab- made meats giving rise to new dishes and unexpected new mixes. TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION Operators in public establishments need to be informed about these products in a timely and correct manner because a meat substitute is shaped and packaged reminiscent of burgers, chicken nuggets or sausages, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it fully reflects the originals. Not all meat substitutes are vegan, some may contain traces of eggs or dairy, so it’s best to make sure you reserve careful reading of labels that list nutritional values and basic elements, at least before you start cooking and serving a dish at the table. ASSOCARNI and UNICEB, associations representing the Italian meat supply chain, however, have asserted that Italian consumers do not like products passed off as meat (so-called “fake meat”) and produced with ultra-processed chemical and vegetable ingredients. UNICEB President Carlo Siciliani believes that the plant-based products sector should be more creative: “Companies should work on new marketing concepts to gain consumer recognition and solve the fundamental paradox of the plant imitation industry”. But also points of sale should pay attention to communicate their ‘vegetarian’ specialisation going beyond simple posters or flyers door to door and preferring media such as social and targeted digital marketing campaigns to explain that they have included in the menu products ‘alternative’ to meat that sometimes could also represent a way to vary the diet. HOW TO MANAGE A RESTAURANT WITH A PREDOMINANTLY VEGETARIAN MENU In addition to setting the menu daily, updating it regularly and consistently, you need to evaluate and include new, alternative and interesting foods rather than putting the usual overused tofu on the menu. For some ideas, you can consult sites like vrg.org or cookbooks like “The Moosewood Cookbook” by Mollie Katzen, “Welcome to Claire’s” by Claire Criscuolo or “100 Best Vegetarian Recipes” by Carol Gelles. When buying agricultural products, grains and other foods that are not processed by the industry, it is enough to explore information and knowledge by talking directly with farmers, suppliers or distributors. You must be willing to train and develop your employees. Numerous cooking schools teach traditional techniques with a strong focus on meat preparation, which means that many cooks do not have the expertise to create innovative vegan or vegetarian dishes. This also doesn’t mean that kitchen staff have to be vegan or vegetarian. “They just have to be professionals or open-minded people who are passionate about learnings related to their industry,” says Kate Landau, with husband Rich, owner of Philadelphia vegan restaurants Vedge and V Street. SYNTHETIC MEAT, CULTURED MEAT Synthetic meat, defined as “clean meat” because it does not derive from the slaughter of animals, has aroused perplexity among gourmets and encountered some problems in competing with its natural rival. The 3D printers of Japanese, Israeli and South Korean laboratories, however, are ready to turn the tables on alternative meat markets, which are already expanding due to increasing environmental awareness. The first in-vitro burger, created by a Dutch team, was consumed at a press conference in London in August 2013. If Leonardo DiCaprio puts his face on it The well-known actor, known for his commitment to the environment, is investing in two companies that produce alternative ingredients to meat: the first is Dutch Mosa Meat and the second is Israeli Aleph Farms. “I’m an advisor and investor for them,” DiCaprio said. And the list of VIPs certainly doesn’t end here: Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, and Bill Gates, the father of Microsoft, are financiers instead of Memphis Meats, a US start-up specialising in food technology based in Berkeley, California, which aims to grow sustainably raised meat. The book “The End of Animal Farming” by Jacy Reese Anthis is a clear and straightforward volume that tells the story that plant-based food and cultured meat will completely replace animal-based food by the end of the century. This book sheds light on what is a new sector that has been expanding over the last three years. In fact, many MAGAZINE