Plant-based dietary shift: Current trends, barriers, and carriers

Abstract

BackgroundPlant-based foods in recent times have received attention from environmentalists due to their lower impacts on the environment. Additionally, they are found to improve health better than animal-based foods. Despite the benefits associated with plant-based diets, their full adoption faces several interconnected barriers. Scope and approachThe review aimed to comprehensively highlight the barriers against plant-based food adoption. It also aimed to outline the progress, trends and supporting factors in plant-based food manufacturing and plant-based food consumption. The review finally discusses strategies to overcome the identified barriers against the adoption of plant-based foods. Key findingsIt was found that aside from social, economic, nutritional, legal, religious, and cultural barriers, most of the raw materials used in manufacturing plant-based foods are sources of major food allergens. Regardless, plant-based alternative food manufacturing is spreading worldwide, and research activities focused on plant-based foods have tripled in the last three years. In conclusion, despite the existing barriers, the plant-based and alternative protein industry appears to thrive, and measures to address the identified barriers have emerged and are yielding a positive impact.