• Gordon Calhoun@lemmy.world
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    13 days ago

    It is kinda nice that Impossible Steak Bites now costs less per unit of mass than beef does. Going vegetarian starting to make more sense every day…

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      That’s good to hear. Given all the inputs into things like beef, plant-based should almost always be cheaper. I’m still irritated when something vegetarian/vegan on the menu is as expensive or even more expensive than the omnivore edition.

      Few things highlight the deep distortions that actual social engineering does to the marketplace as much as that.

      Of course, buying certain ingredients and making plant-based yourself can often be far cheaper than eating out.

      • sparkyshocks@lemmy.zip
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        12 days ago

        Sometimes the cost of processing itself is non-trivial.

        Fermented sauces, for example, tend to be much more expensive than just the raw ingredients, because the process itself is complex (and requires significant labor and/or equipment to keep safe for human consumption).

        In order to make some of these plant based meat substitutes, the complex processes need to basically move enough volume to be able to take advantage of economies of scale. So we’ll probably get there eventually, at least once these plant protein products become mainstream enough.

        • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          Yes, all fair, and I think you are right. Add in that they are trying to cut against the grain of a system that revolves around setting up huge incentives for beef production and it’s going to be tough to match on price.

          Still, it’s rather annoying.

          I tend not to eat many substitutes in most cases, especially at home. I don’t really need the extra sodium of something like Impossible…

          I’ve been at places where the veggie options were rather limited, but they’d have burgers on the menu and you could sub in an Impossible Burger - for an extra $4. And last time I’ve eaten there was prior to Covid, so I’m sure it’s even more now…

        • hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip
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          11 days ago

          Increased demand for these products will bring competition, which will bring costs down. So support these guys when you can!

    • hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip
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      11 days ago

      Do it. Not just because of cost, but because it’s the right thing to do.

      The upside too all of this shit? It’s making people take a hard look at how their lust for first-world consumption, immediate gratification and convenience is the very source of the problem we’re facing now.

      Making the right choice economical is just the icing on the cake!