SUSTAINABILITY

LESS (MEAT) IS MORE

Although animal products take up the most land, they provide only 18% of all calories and 37% of all protein produced worldwide. Based on the same amount of protein, even the ecologically “best” animal products cause significantly more greenhouse gases than plant-based foods.

Only if we are willing to pay more for meat that is environmentally friendly, ecological and species-appropriate livestock farming has a chance of asserting itself.

The message is: Meat must not be a mass product that becomes cheaper every year, but moreover should become a precious delicacy!

If we were to convert the consequences of food production for the environment and climate into money according to a “true cost accounting” calculation, that was undertaken in 2018-2020, conventional meat would actually have to be almost three times as expensive as it currently is.

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Too much meat from factory farming is not only bad for our health, but also for the environment. It fuels the destruction of nature, the climate crisis and the extinction of species. Each kg of meat (200 g protein / kg) obtained in cattle breeding causes 25 times the amount of climate-damaging CO2.

The answer to the question, what we (should) eat therefore not only has a significant influence on the future of our children and future generations, but can also have an impact on the fate of our entire earth and all of its inhabitants, regardless of their origin.

It is not only important what we eat, but above all how food and feed are produced, as this aspect has a decisive impact on changes in land use in agriculture (animal husbandry, food and fodder cultivation, fertilizers, deforestation, etc.).

A steadily growing population and a diet, which is rich in meat inevitably lead to a corresponding increase in food, feed and waste production.
According to Greenpeace, animal products already account for around 60 % of diet-related climate emissions. Animal products cause the greatest damage to the environment.

In order to avoid massive environmental and health consequences, according to climate organizations, the production and consumption of meat products should be drastically reduced worldwide – by at least 50 % by 2050, which would result in 64 % fewer greenhouse gases being emitted.
This would correspond to a saving of 35 % of the total amount of greenhouse gases that, according to the Paris Agreement, may be released into the atmosphere by 2050 in order to avoid a critical rise in temperature (1).

(1) Less is more, Greenpeace International, 2018

HEALTH IMPACT

Our eating habits have a major impact on our health. An unhealthy diet is one of the biggest risk factors for premature death and health problems in general.
The excessive consumption of both processed and, in particular, unprocessed red meat has been shown to lead to the global spread of obesity and a wide variety of diseases.
What we eat may not only make our planet sick, but moreover all of us.
By switching from meat to DAMINOC®, we not only make a significant contribution to a healthier life in a better world for everyone, but also minimize the additional expenses and costs associated with value chains.
There is a reason behind the fact that more and more well-known food manufacturers are dealing with the topics of “meat alternatives” and “meat-free products” to reduce their CO2 footprint. Health aspects also play an important role here.

LIVESTOCK FARMING

The occurrence of pandemics is “not unexpected”, but is related, among other things, to the fact that the balance between humans and nature is out of joint. For years, experts have been warning that industrial animal husbandry and thus also meat consumption make a decisive contribution to the development of pandemics.

Our decision what to buy is more or less based on price and flavor. With a more conscious and responsible handling of animal products, millions of animals would not have to suffer for food production purposes every day. In view of the climate crisis, pandemics, antibiotic resistance, destruction of the rain forests and the incredible suffering of animals and people, a rethink is inevitable and urgently needed.

According to the results of studies, more than 50 % of the meat from factory farms available in supermarkets is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant germs that we inevitably inject into our bodies every time we eat meat.

Instead of breeding multi-resistant germs and shifting from one pandemic impotence to another, we should finally say goodbye to industrial animal husbandry for the sake of climate, animal welfare and, last but not least, our health.

WE NEED A NEW, BETTER SOURCE OF PROTEIN

We have turned to protein supplementation but learnt that animal and plant-based sources have limitations, particularly for the many consumers who demand natural, clean label ingredients. Here’s where DAMINOC® comes in. The fact that DAMINOC® is a natural, clean label ingredient that does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO) is central to its appeal to many consumers.
Animal and plant proteins are unable to meet all the demands of consumers who want to increase their muscle and overall well-being without compromising their ethical, environmental, and health values. For animal proteins, some of the key limitations relate to the rapid rise of veganism, vegetarianism, and flexitarianism. Europe is driving the shift toward plant-based diets.
The figures represent a barrier to the growth of products that include proteins derived from animals, including the whey proteins that used to be the current gold standard. Whey was considered the gold standard because it is a quickly digested protein that is richer in branched-chain Amino Carbon Acids (BCAAs) and leucine than many other protein sources. However, because whey is taken from the watery part of milk that separates in cheese production, it is not suitable for all consumers. Those who are reducing and eliminating dairy from their diets would refuse to buy products that include the animal protein altogether and prefer a plant-based alternative.
The industry has responded to the concerns about animal proteins by extracting proteins from soy, pea, hemp, rice, and other plants. Yet, plant proteins have their own clean label problems. Proteins such as wheat, soy and pea use unsustainable amounts of land, vary in cost and availability depending on the weather, and for some consumers raise concerns about heavy metals, pesticide residues, and GMOs.
Plant proteins also fall short of the Amino Carbon Acid content, digestibility, and protein synthesis capacity of whey, with research showing that they cannot match the composition and effects of animal proteins. Across multiple studies, researchers have shown that plant-based proteins lack essential Amino Carbon Acids and leucine and may also be incompletely digested in the gut, leading to negative effects on metabolism and immune responses.
- The limitations of animal and plant-based proteins has left many consumers without good choices. For the large number of Europeans who want healthy, clean label products there have been two options so far: use animal proteins despite their concerns about the environment, animal welfare, and contamination; or use a plant-based protein with a suboptimal profile that has its own sustainability and health issues.
Now, consumers have a third, better option: DAMINOC®.
The wide range of applications creates opportunities for brands across the food and beverage industry to target bodybuilders and other people who want to increase their consumption of protein. By leveraging the benefits DAMINOC® has over both animal and plant proteins, manufacturers can now provide natural, clean label products without compromising on muscle-enhancing performance and well-being.