MCCLEMENTS Spotlights Alternative Meat on South Korean News Show

David Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor of Food Science, internationally known scholar and prolific author, was recently featured live on ArirangTV, South Korea’s largest English-language broadcast, discussing the global rise of plant-based meat.

McClements, whom Arirang News called “an amazing expert in the field,” was the guest on a morning show aimed at young people called News Generation. The topic: “Why youth are relying on alternative meat for a greener future.”

Anchor Ye-eun Shin asked McClements about the plant-based meat market, its nutritional value compared to animal meat and the future of the multibillion-dollar industry.

“It’s definitely the hottest topic in food science in America at the moment,” McClements told the three-person news show panel. McClements’ appearance begins at about 16:45 in the YouTube replay of the show.

Among the 11 books he has written about food, McClements’ most recent is “Meat Less: The Next Food Revolution” (Springer, 2023). At UMass, McClements and a multidisciplinary team are exploring the science and technology – including protein chemistry, soft matter physics, food engineering, sensory science, gastrointestinal fate and gut microbiome effects – behind the design and fabrication of plant-based foods fortified with nutraceuticals, vitamins, minerals, or probiotics to address malnutrition and combat chronic disease. This research is also aimed at creating a more sustainable, healthy, affordable and accessible plant-based diet to address climate change and food security issues.