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Wheat protein is currently one of the most popular forms of alternative protein in plant based products, especially plant based meat. Wheat protein has robust texturizing properties for plant based meat as the fibers from gluten development mirror the traditional muscle fibers found in meat.
However, one limitation to the rise of wheat based products is the gluten-free movement and the growing number of people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. As wheat is one of more common allergens, and must be recorded on food packaging labels, the rise of wheat texturized meat could deter some consumers from adopting the alternative protein trend.
Scientists believe that by altering the genetic code of products like wheat, they could make a less allergenic form of wheat. Using CRISPR based technology to strip the allergenic proteins away from the plant’s DNA, scientists could potentially de-allergize gluten.
Hortense Dodo, founder of IngateyGen, a food tech company based in North Carolina, comments that,
“Early efforts to genetically modify allergenic crops used a technology called RNA Interference (RNAi). This technique requires scientists to splice a foreign piece of RNA—from another plant, for instance—into the genetic code they are trying to modify…. Plants that are edited using CRISPR may also be approved quicker than those using older RNAi technology. “[CRISPR] is a more powerful, more precise technology," Dodo says. "In terms of regulation, it is much easier to get your product to the market in the U.S."
Indicator | Value |
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Stars | ★★★☆☆ |
Platform | Metaculus |
Number of forecasts | 247 |
<small>Note: this is a long term question which will not count toward the tournament leaderboard. See the tournament page for details.</small>
Wheat protein is currently one of the most popular forms of alternative protein in plant based products,...
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