Rachel Moore gives her views on meat substitutes

Food designed to look and taste like meat for people who hate everything that meat stands for is an anathema.

The protest that it’s the culinary equivalent of wearing fake fur doesn’t wash.

You might insist that because you like the look and feel of something you’ve cut out of your life for ideological reasons – or taste in this – you’re happy to fake it in a harmless homage but we all know it’s poppycock.

Justify away that a fake fur jacket doesn’t encourage the fur trade so tucking into plate of fake meat, marbled ‘steak’ and new soya-based pork ribs with edible vegan bones hitting the shelves this year isn’t glorifying the meat industry.

It sounds revolting on all levels, but I can live without meat. If I consciously gave it up, rather than taking it or leaving it, I certainly wouldn’t touch heavily processed pretend products.

Just writing that makes the whole concept sound ridiculous.

The ribs have been developed by vegan food company Juicy Marbles, who realised the waste ‘bones’ from the rib ‘meat’ could be eaten while they investigated if they could be compostable.

Their no waste aim is laudable, but to be making edible bones for vegans in the first place, they must assume there is a market of people keen to eat them.

Pushing aside that any meat ‘substitute’ never is a substitute and more a tasteless chew marathon, the whole idea is preposterous, hypocritical and all-round yuk. Give me a roast beetroot any day.

About 3% of the population are vegan.  What confuses me is that most people who cut out meat do so for ethical reasons because they are disgusted by the meat industry.

Some choose vegetarianism or veganism for health reasons – we all now the dangers of too much red meat - others for environmental reasons, doing it for the planet, to cut gas emissions from cattle, said to account for 15% of all global emissions.

Plants cause far lower emissions so turning to a plant-based diet is the most effective way for individuals to reduce their impact on the planet.

Some are motivated by all three.

Having made that decision, it’s baffling why they would then want to buy expensive products that try to replicate what they don’t like.

A balanced diet is easy to achieve without meat or manufacturers’ highly processed pretend steaks, fillets and chops.

We’re told every day that the key to good health is avoiding ultra-processed food yet a new industry of plant-based products – as appetising as soggy insoles – has grown to be worth as much as £50bn by 2030 and quickly became an overcrowded market.

The emperor’s new clothes look like they’re falling off though, because sales in the UK have flatlined or fallen. People are either waking up or the cost-of-living crisis is making people question fake meat and doing their own thing with vegetables and beans.

Vegan burger pioneers Beyond Meat reported this month that sales had dropped by almost a third, with its stock market 90% down on its 2019 peak. Vegan specialists Meatless Farm and Plant & Bean and others went bust this year and sausage maker Heck is cutting its meat-free products to two from 10.

Yet invention is ongoing with Juicy Marbles’ emerging ribs. Co-founder Vladimir Mićković, says it’s all about fun, food sharing and eating bones with your hands.

You’ve got to admire innovation and entrepreneurship, and if there’s a market of people who condemn the meat industry in one breath but at to be seen devouring a lookalike rare steak, who blames them.

It’s still weird though.

The key is trying

Every mother who has had the privilege to be able to put work on hold to put their children first, wanted to hug Helen Skelton this week when she announced she was stepping back from her radio show to spend more time at home.

“An eight-year-old will be happy about it”.

Although she was quick to add. “I’m not all right about it.” But she can afford to be.

She is fortunate enough to have the choice – a choice not available to most working parents.

No parent ever feels they get it right in the child-work balance.

Those who put careers on hold never catch up, however fast they run. Those who worked throughout regret time missed.

We can never get it right. The important thing is that we try.

James has tarnished reputation

However talented Lauren James is, she should not be in the line-up for Sunday’s World Cup final.

By standing on her opponent, she tarnished the reputation of the game, failed as a role model for all those girls and boys watching, and showed a lack of self-control that she needs to curb and learn from.

Saying she is young or tired is no excuse. She is a 21-year-old international player who should know better.

Extreme talent doesn’t excuse her conduct either, or open the doors for different treatment because she might score the winning goal.

Playing for a nation is a responsibility and privilege.

Her unacceptable behaviour will be forgiven, rightly, but in the name of the reputation of the women’s game, which every player is custodian of, she needs to sit out the final and watch her teammates she let down.