Are plant-based meat analogues richer in minerals than their meat counterparts?

Abstract

There is increased demand for plant-based meat analogues (PBMA) globally but information on their nutritional composition, notably micronutrients, is limited. This study aimed to compare the mineral content profile of commercially available PBMA with meat products commonly consumed in Singapore. Our results showed that due to extensive fortification of PBMA, almost all of PBMA contained greater amounts of micronutrients compared to the animal meat counterparts. We observed that PBMA had significantly higher calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and copper than meat products. In contrast, meat products had a significantly higher mean concentration of potassium compared to PBMA. Despite the increased micronutrients in PBMA, addressing the bioavailability of micronutrients such as iron and zinc in PBMA will still be a crucial step in the continued consumption of such products to maintain human health and planetary health. Iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium deficiencies are widely prevalent worldwide. If PBMA is to be widely consumed, food manufacturers need to focus on enhancing bioavailability of these micronutrients. Successful strategies to improve bioavailability in PBMA will enhance greater consumption with a positive impact on human health and planetary health.