Fake Chicken: The Last Laugh

My youngest daughter was a vegetarian for a while, and I was therefore exposed to Tofu hotdogs.  It wasn't a pleasant experience, so I wasn't interested in repeating it.  Maybe all that will be changing soon.

New York Times article: Finally Fake Chicken Worth Eating

Here we have another example of what will soon be an alternative to raising live chickens.  Chickens are one of the best animal for converting vegetable matter to meat, an FCR (Feed Conversions Ratio) as low as 1.28 for New Zealand chicken farms (see previous Blog posting), significantly better than the backward Canadian #ChickenMafia currently at a 1.75 FCR or worse.

This American scientist wants to cut out the middle-man middle-chicken, and convert soybean meal directly to a chicken meat substitute, at a lower cost than the sloppy #ChickenMafia and their animal rights abuses (or risk thereof).

Natural lean meat is about 85% water, so if we assume fake meat is the same % water, the fake chicken process could have a theoretical FCR of 0.15 which is 8.5 times better when compared to the world's best chicken farmer with their FCR of 1.28

Assuming chicken feed is $450/MT, a FCR of 1.28, chicken feed price is 60% of the total cost, 73% eviscerated weight, 50% markup at slaughter, and 50% markup at retail, we get the best possible retail price of $2.89/kg for real chicken.

Similarly, for fake chicken, we are using raw soy protein etc. at ~$2,000/MT, 85% water (15% soy+ protein), 50% markup at manufacturing, 50% markup at wholesale, and 50% markup at retail, we have a fake chicken price of $0.67/kg; which is 4.3 times cheaper than the real thing.

It may not be what people really want, but it fills the belly, keeps you alive, and it's affordable.

Is the competitive alternative of fake chicken the only way we will be able to force the #ChickenMafia to lower their prices and compete? Is this the only way that poor people will again be able to regularly afford "chicken"?

In the 1900's buggy whip manufacturers had a good thing going; but not so much anymore. Does  the #ChickenMafia have to prepare themselves for a similar fate?  How many years after 1900 did it take for the most pompous and arrogant buggy whip manufacturer to realize his days of wine and roses were all behind him?  I can believe that 95% of the #ChickenMafia scoff at this Blog posting, and find it ridiculous. We'll soon see.  Obsolete, fossilized dinosaurs is the current course the #ChickenMafia have chosen for themselves.

As you see in the video, the New York Times writer had trouble picking out the fake chicken from real once it was cooked into a meal.

If the #ChickenMafia isn't careful, if they push us too far, there will be more and more people looking to find ways to turn the #ChickenMafia into a fossilized dinosaur, and almost all of of the #ChickenMafia will be out of work.

The Billionaires and Trillionaires will always have their lobster tails, filet mignon, and champagne; they don't eat that much chicken.  The destitute can't afford anything.  It's the ones in the middle who buy the majority of all goods, including chicken. 

Fake chicken is when the animal rights people will have the last laugh at the #ChickenMafia 's expense.  That's when the animal rights people will have won, not the arrogant #ChickenMafia who overplayed their hand for way too long.

We can have our chicken and eat it too.

We don't have to defeat the #ChickenMafia, for the #ChickenMafia will defeat themselves.

We need to focus on finding, nurturing, and co-operating with our local food producers who are better aligned with our philosophies and share our goals.

Please remember to Tweet this posting, refer to it on your Facebook page, and get the word out to as many people as quickly as we can.  We have no time to lose.

Our better future without the #ChickenMafia awaits us.

Dr. Al Sears notes that the current fake chicken patty isn't formulated to be as nutritious as real chicken, so that part has yet to be improved.

Nutrients in real chicken Vs. fake chicken made from Soybeans and other
plant-based ingredients.  Real chicken is more nutritious.  Fake chicken
recipe needs to be improved, but it fills the belly and is affordable, unlike
real chicken in Canada.