Abstract
Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) lack uniformity globally, with the integration of protein food sources being highly variable. Protein guidance tends to be dichotomous, e.g., animal versus plant with other categories such as fungal proteins being overlooked. In 2019 the EAT Lancet Food in the Anthropocene report was a chief driver questioning the need to supply healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Some countries are developing FBDG that integrate these aspects, but these are quite often protracted, too subtle or misaligned with other countries, diluting the effects of meaningful global change. Protein quality metrics also underpin the dissemination of dietary guidance. However, for protein, these remain based on a food’s essential amino acid profile and digestibility scores, thus are nutritionally and physiologically centric. It has been proposed that this definition is becoming increasingly myopic from a wider societal perspective. Updated indices should include contemporary issues such as protein diversity and environmental outcomes. Taken together, there is opportunity for renewed thinking about both FBDG and protein quality definitions, with scope to include both health and environmental outcomes and need to move towards the concept of protein diversification.
Highlights
We are in the era of anthropogenic climate change, with the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 and prior meetings recognising that developments in agriculture will be crucial to moving forward and meeting targets to cut emissions [1]
In the United Kingdom, interest in mycoprotein first emerged in the 1960s when Lord Rank, a British Industrialist, set out of identify a novel protein source that could be used to attenuate the global food crisis caused by accelerated population growth [22]
Foods 2022, 11, 647 collectively, an extensive body of evidence has accrued for mycoprotein over the last three decades, emphasising a need to reflect on its integration within Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG)
Summary
We are in the era of anthropogenic climate change, with the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 and prior meetings recognising that developments in agriculture will be crucial to moving forward and meeting targets to cut emissions [1]. Data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) shows that since this online survey first commenced (in 2008) there has been a decline in mean red and processed meat intakes across all age groups [6,7] This downward trend was reinforced by Stewart et al [8], who observed that an acceleration of this trend is still needed to achieve meat-consumption targets aligned with sustainable diets. In 2019 the EAT-Lancet Food in the Anthropocene report was a milestone publication, emphasising the urgent need to feed growing global populations with diets that are both healthy and sustainable [15]. The renowned epidemiologist Professor Walter Willett and coauthors (2021) report that there is a “pressing” need to formulate dietary guidelines for healthy and sustainable diets [17]. The current publication discusses where we are at presently with protein quality definitions, FBDG, and describes where we need to be in the immediate future
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
