Build Up Catch Up - 6/23/23

Cell-cultivated meat is officially here, More on Artificial Sweeteners, Build Up Mini Meet Ups, 3 things (including a Podcast Pick), a Book Nook Recommendation &more!

Cell-cultivated Meat” enters the Chat

Given the apparent decline in popularity of many “plant-based” meat alternatives; it may be timely that it was announced this week that the USDA approved “cell-cultivated meat” products —a chicken derived item…GOOD Meat and Upside Foods receive first-ever USDA Label Approvals for Cultivated Meat”. These cell-cultivated products are made from animal cells so they are similar to actual meat, unlike “plant-based” products made plant (soy, pea, etc) proteins.

But bigger questions remain:

1. Will these products appeal to individuals who follow a vegan diet since it is technically not a vegan product? A poll conducted by the vegan dating app Veggly indicates that vegans generally support the idea of cell-based meat, but few have plans to consume it.

2. Are these companies going to be able to overcome market challenges (price, availability) and negative perceptions toward cell-cultivated meat/cultured meat(CM)?

   Here are conclusions in a study with youth:

“…youth generally have positive attitudes toward CM and see personal benefit in consuming it. However, many are not willing to spend more money on the product compared to traditionally sourced meat and have concerns about its potential taste, informing pricing and production practices, respectively. Youth believe CM to be unnatural, but ethical and environmentally friendly.”

3. Do these companies making cell-cultivated meat really have a lower carbon footprint than traditionally farmed animals? A pre-print and not yet peer-reviewed study out of UC Davis is less than optimistic (Caution: consider the source, UC Davis is a major agriculture school). The companies making these cultured meats use bioreactors (similar to brewing tanks) which use energy. It’s tough to get a clear picture of the environmental impact since these companies are closely guarded and all have or will have different processes.

Bottom Line: The availability of these products to the general public in supermarkets is still years away. Many questions remain about acceptance, taste (the “yuk factor”), price and environmental impact. The potential to provide the taste and nutrition of meat without animal agriculture is appealing for many.

Summary of Scary News on Sweeteners

There have been so many scary, click-bait headlines about artificial sweeteners (aka non-nutritive sweeteners), many of which we’ve addressed in previous newsletters:

6/9/23 “Sensational Sucralose (Splenda) Headlines”

5/19/23 “The WHO says “No!” to Non-Sugar Sweeteners”

3/3/23 “Panic about Erythritol”

A thanks to dietitian Chris Rosenbloom for taking a concise look at all of these recent headlines and articles in her recent post, “A is for Aritifical Sweeteners” and concluding, “….Science evolves and any new insights into how a substance might affect our health deserves to be studied or re-evaluated; unfortunately, clickbait headlines never give us the whole story.”

Build Up Mini Meet Ups

Pre-Pandemic/Before Covid (aka BC), we used to do Build Up Mini Meet Ups at various events like ANS, SCAN and Today’s Dietitian Symposium. We’re trying to reinvigorate that. If you’re planning to attend a nutrition conference or a nutrition event or symposium and would like to HOST a Build Up Mini Meet Up we’ll make it super easy for you…

1. We’ll help find a location (usually a bar or restaurant) near the conference venue and a time that works for you.

2. We’ll help advertise it and get the word out.

3. We’ll provide money for food/appetizers.

   AND

We’ll give you a $50 Amazon gift card for your time!

What do YOU have to do in return?

1. Agree to be a ‘host with the most’ for the event and help spread the word.

2.Take photos during the event and send them to us.

That’s it! If you’re interested shoot us an email: builduprdns@gmail.com

BOOK NOOK Recommendation

“The American Plate: Culinary History in 100 Bites” - Libby H. O’Connell

Have you ever thought about eating roast beaver tail? Eel Pie? Having a syllabub? Learn more about the unique food history of the U.S, when and why certain foods were introduced, how some dishes are still consumed today and how others have been forgotten. This book also contains some interesting recipes like “Cockaleekie Soup” and “Pemmican”.

3 things to Think About

1. Video from Obesity Action Coalition - “Can You Be Body Positive and Still Want to Lose Weight?” - a panel discussion. (A group you may want to join is our Build Up Dietitians Weight Management (& Bariatric/Metabolic Treatment)

OAC TV - “Can You Be Body Positive and Still Want to Lose Weight?”

2. Effect of Soy 🌱Infant Formula (SIF)🍼 on male infants and effect of a soy-based diet on male and female children (via Soy Global Institute) “…newly published research shows SIF does not exert hormonal effects in boys. A systematic review concluded there is no association between soy-based infant diet and the onset of puberty in boys or girls, but because of the limitations of this research, its informative value is unclear.”

   (Build Up Dietitians Pediatrics group)

3. Carrageenan - What is it? Do you need to be afraid of it? What’s the history of using seaweed? Does carrageenan cause inflammation? Learn more in this week’s Podcast Pick by SAVOR: “Gelling with Carrageenan”

“Gelling with Carrageenan”

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