Laura Hackl, a leading expert in protein science, nutrition, and sustainability, joins me to explore the future of food and how innovative solutions are addressing global challenges. With a career spanning research on nutrient absorption to developing alternative proteins, Laura shares insights into the science behind what we eat and its broader implications.

Expect to learn the key differences between animal and plant-based proteins, why alternative proteins are designed to mimic meat, and the potential health and environmental impacts of highly processed substitutes. Laura also discusses her work on ProFillet, a fish fillet alternative created for the XPrize Feed the Next Billion competition, and the challenges of scaling sustainable protein solutions. We touch on gaps in nutrition science, the disconnect between research and real-world applications, and the future of alternative proteins—from lab-grown meat to insect-based options.

CONTACT LAURA

linkedin.com/in/lhackl

CONTACT MIKE

https://howitticks.ch/contact-page/

TRANSCRIPT

https://howitticks.ch/podcast/the-surprising-truth-about-protein-meat-alternatives-laura-hackl-20/

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction03:15 Lessons from conducting nutrition research in Ghana and India09:30 Challenges of measuring real-world nutrition15:45 Why nutrition research produces conflicting results22:10 The funding and biases that shape food science research27:30 Developing plant-based fish: challenges in taste, texture, and nutrition34:20 Are plant-based meat substitutes truly healthy and sustainable?40:45 The potential of insect-based and lab-grown meat as alternative proteins47:10 The lack of thorough sustainability assessments in food innovation

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