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Comparative Study
. 2021 Nov 25;13(12):4225.
doi: 10.3390/nu13124225.

Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Meat Products Available in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Roberta Alessandrini  1 , Mhairi K Brown  1 , Sonia Pombo-Rodrigues  1 , Sheena Bhageerutty  1 , Feng J He  1 , Graham A MacGregor  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Meat Products Available in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Roberta Alessandrini et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Plant-based meat (PBM) has been gaining popularity due to increasing concerns over health, animal welfare, and environmental issues linked to animal foods. This study aimed to compare the nutrient profile of PBM with equivalent meat products. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 207 PBM and 226 meat products available from 14 retailers in the UK. We extracted data on energy density, total and saturated fat, protein, fiber, and salt per 100 g from product packaging and calculated the nutrient profile of each product. Compared to meat, PBM had significantly lower energy density, total fat, saturated fat, protein, and significantly higher fiber. Salt content was significantly higher in five out of six PBM categories. Based on the UK's Nutrient Profiling Model, 14% of PBM and 40% of meat products were classified as "less healthy" (p < 0.001). When considering the UK's front-of-pack labelling criteria 20% of the PBM and 46% of meat products were considered high in either total fat, saturated fat, or salt (p < 0.001). Nearly three quarters of PBM products did not meet the current UK salt targets. PBM products have a better nutrient profile compared to meat equivalents. However, more progress is needed to reduce salt in these products.

Keywords: alternative protein; nutrient profile; plant-based meat; salt; vegetarian.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.K.B., S.P.-R. and S.B. are employees of Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar & Health (CASSH), a non-profit charitable organization. F.J.H. is a member of CASSH and its international branch Word Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (WASSH). F.J.H. does not receive any financial support from the charities. G.A.M. is Chairman of Blood Pressure UK (BPUK), Chairman of CASSH and Chairman of WASSH. G.A.M. does not receive financial support from these charities. All the other authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The selection process used for the inclusion of PBM and meat products in the nutrient profiling analyses and comparisons with the most recent UK salt targets.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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