Something relevant to this...in today's CNN news.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/03/health/germany-vegan-vegetarian-diets/index.htmlThis is about vegan substitutes for familiar meat food products.
************
When thinking of a typically German meal, two particular items probably spring to mind: bratwurst sausage and a tender schnitzel.
Both are traditional, and both are made of veal, beef or pork, occasionally chicken.
But today, these classics have been transformed, going meat-free to embrace the growing number of vegetarians and vegans across Germany and to fuel the vegan movement itself.
"These new food products are quite tasty," said Stefan Lorkowski, vice president of the German Nutrition Society. "It's tremendous what food technologists can do."
Europe's first vegan supermarket chain, Veganz, began in the German capital, Berlin, in 2011. There are 10 stores across the country today and more across the continent, offering more than 4,500 products. More restaurants are also offering vegetarian and vegan options, as well as special food aisles at most major supermarkets, Lorkowski said.
....using survey data from 2008 and 2011 estimated 4.3% of Germans between 18 and 79 years old to be vegetarian, with the greatest number between the ages of 18 and 29. About 2% of the UK population is estimated to be vegetarian and 3.3% in the US. In most settings, numbers are greater among higher-income populations and city-dwellers, say experts, as well as among women.
Recent guidance from the United Nations has highlighted the environmental benefits of reduced meat consumption. For example, livestock are estimated to be responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
"The UK is a world leader" in veganism, Peggs said, adding that it was the first country to have a Vegan Society. That ideology arose from concerns over animal welfare, followed by the environment, meaning people did not necessarily seek meat-like replacements.
Sanders also believes that greater ethnic diversity in countries such as the UK, with the resulting wider range of foods, further affects the type of vegan and vegetarian diets people want. UK residents are commonly exposed to Greek, Indian and Cypriot diets that have many vegetarian options. "Most vegans do not think of meat as food ... (so) they don't want things resembling meat," he said.
Most experts believe the trend has not yet peaked, though they say it is unlikely to become the norm.
"There is a lot of concern around health," Peggs said. "So it will keep rising."
*************
Cheers.
Sriram
