Reducing industrial animal use can help to shrink our carbon footprint and boost health—but doing so means we need nutritious meat alternatives that are also tasty and affordable.
This is according to a new Frontiers in Science lead article in which researchers Prof David Julian McClements and Prof David L. Kaplan reveal how hybrid foods, which combine proteins from different sources, could be part of the solution.
Join the authors at our Frontiers Forum Deep Dive webinar on 22 October 2025, 16:00–17:30 CEST , as they examine how these hybrids—made by combining alternative protein sources like plants, fungi, insects, and cell-cultivated meat—can help reduce the negative impacts of traditional animal agriculture on health, the environment, and animal welfare.
They emphasize the need for collaboration between science, industry, and regulators to optimize protein combinations that balance nutrition, taste, sustainability, and affordability.
The article authors will discuss key challenges—consumer acceptance, cost, scalability, and regulatory implications—that must be addressed before hybrids can become mainstream, commercially viable meat alternatives.
Hybrid alternative protein-based foods: designing a healthier and more sustainable food supply | Register
Frontiers Forum Deep Dive sessions bring researchers, policy experts, and innovators together from around the world, to discuss a specific area of transformational science published in Frontiers' flagship, multidisciplinary journal, Frontiers in Science, and explore next steps for the field.