Basics of a sociology of food. Meat and protein alternatives in contemporary societies

This paper presents considerations from a social science perspective, specifically within the framework of the sociology of food and nutrition. After a brief introduction to some of the basic concepts of the discipline, which are useful in identifying its approach and how it may be helpful to understand food supply chains, the article examines the significance that meat – and red meat in particular – has assumed in contemporary societies of the Global North. In particular, this paper will delve into the affirmation of meat in food choices and prestige in the nutritional and symbolic hierarchy of the 20th century and then highlight factors questioning the “privilege” that has recently emerged in meat consumption (§ 3), with specific reference to the characteristics of new food alternatives and the conditions for their success.