Defense Department funds FAKE MEAT manufacturer that uses fungus protein

09/23/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

The Department of Defense (DoD) has bankrolled a company that makes fake meat using fungus protein. Interestingly, the company is owned by a major Democratic donor.

According to the Daily Wire, West Sacramento, California-based The Better Meat Company (TBMC) was awarded almost $1.5 million to establish a facility to make its products. The $1.48 million grant will ostensibly be used to set up “a bioproduction facility for mycoprotein ingredients that are shelf-stable, have high protein and fiber contents, and can be dehydrated.” An Aug. 20 DoD press release noted that TBMC is but one of seven companies bankrolled by the department for its Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP).

The news site explained that TBMC makes its lab-grown meat “by feeding water and nutrients to fungal roots stored in a bioreactor.” The process turns “the material into a semi-solid gray liquid that is strained to finally become the end product.”

A Defense Department spokesman told the Wire that the DBIMP grant “is in support of a bioproduction facility for types of protein that are shelf-stable, have high protein and fiber content and can rapidly support the sustainment requirements of our globally deployed forces.”

He continued: “We are investing in sources of protein such as chickpeas and tofu. The [DoD] is not funding research into ‘lab-grown’ or ‘fake meat’ – nor does it have plans to include such protein substitutes in service members’ MREs.”

The media outlet clarified if these facilities will be used by TBMC to create fake meat during or after the grant term, given that the Aug. 20 release indicates funding a “facility for mycoprotein ingredients” – the exact ingredient used to create fake meat. However, the Wire did not receive a response as of press time.

The DoD previously announced plans to feed fake meat to service members, in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint. Criticism from the general public forced the department to backtrack its initial plans and agree not to fund fake meat initiatives in July. But the department seemingly reneged on that promise as evidenced by its August funding of TBMC. (Related: Pentagon plans to serve LAB-GROWN MEAT to troops in the name of climate change.)

TBMC is owned by a major Democrat donor

The Wire continued that TBMC’s push for fake meat appears to be motivated by ideology and politics, as its CEO Paul Shapiro is an activist with a history of donating to prominent Democrats. According to the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit OpenSecrets, he has donated to the campaigns of former New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland.

A Politico profile of him from 2018 describes Shapiro, who previously worked as a vice president at the Humane Society of the United States, as “one of the nation’s most consequential animal rights advocates.” The same profile also outlined extensive sexual harassment allegations against him.

“The problem today is that we are using vast numbers of geese, ducks, chickens, turkeys, pigs, cows and other animals that we frankly really like to eat,” Shapiro said in a speech about his company.

“We believe the future of meat production is fermentation-fueled,” TBMC states on its website. “We aspire to revolutionize the meat industry by creating a new and better way to make meat.”

Jack Hubbard, the executive director of the Center for Environmental Welfare (CEW), denounced the DoD’s $1.48 million grant to TBMC. He expressed concern that the funding would support the company behind the production of phony meat instead of bolstering the nation’s security.

“America’s foreign enemies are laughing at us,” Hubbard told the Wire. According to the CEW head, the Defense Department should stick to national security instead of diverting taxpayer money to TBMC and other firms that manufacture fake meat.

Head over to FakeMeat.news for similar stories.

Watch this video about the DoD’s plan to feed soldiers with fake meat under the BioMADE program.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.