I have wondered for years when they would come out with lab-made meat, or a food alternative, like soylent green from the Charlton Heston movie, that would be more humane and sustainable but still provide true food value. Soylent has apparently come up with a formula that they claim is a complete food replacement.
Farhad Manjoo totally misses the point of Soylent’s new food alternative, in his article for the NY Times. Yes, it may be bland and you won’t delight in the experience of eating it, but if it is as healthy as the company claims, it could revolutionize healthy eating for lots of people, especially those in lower income brackets around the world. It may turn out to be a much more sustainable way of feeding people as well.
My biggest concern though, is that 30 years ago we were barely aware of micronutrients and some anti-oxidants. Are we still totally unaware of some nutrients needed by humans, that Soylent does not provide? That, and I’m pretty sure naming the product after Soylent Green is not a good idea…