Actor-turned-entrepreneur Genelia says she has nurtured a dream to work towards food choices that are good for us, the public, animals and the planet
HYDERABAD, Oct 7 (The CONNECT) – “I was a non-vegetarian, I became vegetarian some 6 years back and I am very happy about it,” said actress and social entrepreneur Genelia Deshmukh.
Participating in a panel discussion during the ongoing TiE Sustainability Summit 2021, Genelia, Founder - Imagine Meats, explained that her husband Riteish had a craving for meat. “We tried alternative to meat products. And we were happy about it,” she said talking about her entrepreneurship. “We have nurtured a dream to work towards food choices that are good for us, the public, animals and the planet,” she said.
After countless reworks over the last three years with inhouse food scientists from America and Germany, Imagine Meats came out with the final product. And the meatless meat was launched on Ganesh Chaturthi. Now one can eat meat on the eve of festivals without having guilt, she said.
Several ingredients like plant-based proteins, soy, potato, pea, mung bean protein and even rice protein are used to make meatless meat, she said.
The panel discussion was moderated by Abhijit Banerjee- Managing Partner- StratCap Corporate Advisors LLP.
Gautam Godhwani- Managing Partner, Good Protein Fund said nearly 20% of the world population is vegetarians.
A large portion of the world population is non-vegetarians. Every year, more than 9 billion animals in the US are raised and killed on factory farms. This affects the animal kingdom and the planet.
More and more are now conscious of the environmental impact of eating meat. For example, 79% of millennials in the USA have tried alternative proteins. Meat looking meat is now a popular choice. In just one year, plant-based meat went from something very few Americans had heard of to something that 40 percent of us have tried. The USA and Singapore are advanced markets, he explained.
Harish Jadwani- Promoter, Ahimsa foods, which produces and supplies plant-based meat products, said India being price-sensitive country, the meatless meat products have to have to meet this challenge.
