mintbr Sign Inbr Subscribebr Save BIG. Mint+The Economist at ₹3999Claim Now!br Next Storybr Story Separatorbr Business News Science Health In charts: Can alternative proteins be the food of the future?br In charts: Can alternative proteins be the food of the future?br 5 min readbr 24 Sep 2024, 12:28 PM ISTbr Deepa Vasudevanbr India’s government has come up with a new policy that will promote smart proteins that can help the country in its net-zero journey. What are smart proteins, and can India find a way to rule the global market?br Price is a sticking point, especially because the new alt protein items are seen as indulgences rather than necessities. (Image: Pixabay)br Price is a sticking point, especially because the new alt protein items are seen as indulgences rather than necessities. (Image: Pixabay)br br Gift this articlebr In the world of alternative proteins, August was a month of milestones. India’s government approved the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (Bioe3) Policy, with manufacture of “smart proteins" as a key focus area. Singapore approved eight more insects as edible sources of protein. In the US, the Impossible Whopper, the trail-blazing Burger King product with a plant-based patty, completed five years.br br Alternative or smart proteins, aka alt proteins, are proteins extracted from unconventional sources (such as algae, fungi, or insects), or manufactured using new methods (fermentation, lab cultivation of cells). The umbrella term also includes plant-based proteins, which have been in the market for decades. They mimic the taste and nutrition of dairy, meat and seafood, without actually breeding animals. Policies that support alt proteins can help the push for net zero: plant-based meat production uses 72-99 less water and 47-99 less land, causes 51-91 less water pollution and emits 30-90 less greenhouse gas emissions, data from Good Food Institute (GFI) India, a think tank, shows.br br br OPEN IN APPbr Topics You May Be Interested Inbr in charts plain-factsbr Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.