热爱肉类的巴西也在寻找植物性食品

 Meat-loving Brazil Also Looks for Plant-Based Foods

Brazilians generally love to eat beef. The country is known for its all-you-can-eat steak restaurants. It is a leader in meatpacking. In fact, there are more cows than people in Brazil.

But now, Brazilian companies like JBS – the world’s largest beef producer – are looking to cash in on the growing popularity¹ of plant-based meat substitutes². It is a growing food market for people who want to eat less meat, in part because production of meat is often harmful to the environment.

So-called³ “plant-based meats” usually use a mix of protein from soybeans or peas. They are mixed together with mushrooms or vegetables such as beets⁴. The aim is to make the look, taste and feel similar to animal products.

Beyond Meat Inc and Impossible Foods are fast-growing companies selling plant-based foods internationally.

But Brazil will not be an easy market for plant-based foods to take over. The average Brazilian eats about 42 kilograms of meat a year. That is second only to the 53 kilograms eaten by their neighbors in Argentina, according to the market research company Athenagro.

Brazil has about 215 million cows being raised for meat. The country has a population of 210 million.

A recent public opinion study by the Braizilian Vegetarian⁵ Society found that 30 million Brazilians consider themselves vegetarians⁶ – or people who do not eat meat. Seven million of those people say they are vegans. This means they give up all animal products, including cheese, milk and eggs.

There is also a growing number of “flexitarians” in Brazil. These are people who want to reduce, but not totally cut out, the amount of meat they eat.

A growing number of new products are showing up in supermarkets across the country -- from vegetable-based sausages and hot dogs to pea-based “chicken breasts”-- which have no chicken in them at all.

Seara is part of the JBS company. It has started producing a plant-based “hamburger.” Its marketing⁷ director, Jose Cirilo, says the company is looking for opportunities.

Along with other newcomers to the field, Seara is competing with some local vegetarian producers. These include Superbom, a food processor with ties to the country’s Adventist Church. The Adventist Church supports a vegetarian diet as part of a healthful life. Superbom has reported an increase in demand for its vegetarian alternatives.

“Our client⁸ base today is much bigger outside of the church,” said Superbom’s marketing director, David Oliveira. He estimates⁹ that demand for meat substitutes in Brazil is growing by 30 percent each year.

Chicken producer BRF is also looking to return to the vegetarian market. It stopped making non-meat products in 2010.

“It's a market that is here to stay,” said BRF’s Fabio Baganara. He said new inventions have helped plant-based products to be closer to the qualities of animal meat.

I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

steak – n. a thick, flat piece of meat and especially beef

cash in – phrasal v. to obtain money for (something that you own)

soybean – n. the bean of an Asian plant that contains a large amount of protein and that is used as a food

pea – n. a small, round, green seed that is eaten as a vegetable and that is formed in a seed case (called a pod) of a climbing plant

mushroom – n. a fungus¹⁰ that is shaped like an umbrella, especially one that can be eaten

average - adj. ordinary or usual?

opportunity - n. a situation in which something can be done?

alternative - n. something that can be chosen instead of something else : a choice or option?

client – n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services

1 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

2 substitutes   

n.代替者( substitute的名词复数 )；替补（运动员）；替代物；[语法学]代用词v.代替，替换，代用( substitute的第三人称单数 )；做…的代理人，接替

参考例句：

• The extra players, or substitutes, wait until they are called. 额外的运动员或是预备去替换的人没被召唤时在里面等着。 来自辞典例句
• He substitutes as our teacher of English. 他代任我们的英语教师。 来自辞典例句

3 so-called   

adj.所谓的，号称的

参考例句：

• These were the so-called mainframe machines.它们被称为主机。
• Let's see what this so-called button does.让我们来看看为什么这个按钮叫这个名字。

4 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

5 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

6 vegetarians   

n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• Vegetarians believe that eating meat is bad karma. 素食者认为吃肉食是造恶业。

7 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

8 client   

n.委托人，当事人，顾客

参考例句：

• She can't come to the telephone;she's serving a client.她不能来接电话，她正在接待一位顾客。
• The lawyer produced a clever defence of his client.律师机智地为委托人辩护。

9 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。