Plant-based Meat Alternatives Research Articles

We are a family! Exploring flexitarian households' meat reduction practices.

We are a family! Exploring flexitarian households' meat reduction practices.

Cultivation of bovine lipid chunks on Aloe vera scaffolds

Aloe vera, renowned for its medicinal and food applications, offers a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective scaffold material for cultured meat production. Our method repurposes Aloe vera parenchyma into a sustainable and innovative scaffold for CM production. These scaffolds, derived from agricultural byproducts, feature a porous structure that retains liquids and supports bovine mesenchymal stem cell (bMSC) adhesion, proliferation, and extracellular matrix formation. By incorporating oleic acid, the scaffolds enable the accumulation of fat-like tissue, creating “lipid chunks” that can enhance the texture and flavor profile of plant-based meat alternatives. Furthermore, scalability is addressed by culturing the scaffolds in a macrofluidic single-use bioreactor (MSUB), showcasing the potential for large-scale production. This work demonstrates Aloe vera scaffold’s versatility as a cost-effective material and highlights its promise for sustainable protein solutions and tissue engineering applications.

Retail practices for plant-based meat alternatives in Italy

Purpose This study explores in-store retail sales practices for alternative protein products in Italy, with a focus on plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) compared to conventional meat products. It also investigates PBMA across different brand and business protein orientations to uncover disparities in retail practices, with attention to conventional and discount retailing.Design/methodology/approach Data are collected in Bologna, a mid-size metropolitan area in Italy, during autumn 2023. The methodology involved conducting in-person store audits across ten supermarkets and hypermarkets. The data collected encompasses variables such as protein type, product format, price, promotions, product shelf placement and protein orientation. Data elaboration includes Analysis of variance (ANOVA) testing and multivariate linear regression.Findings Results support that retail management practices price PBMA higher, offer fewer promotions and place them in the “ready-to-eat” department versus the meat department, if compared to conventional meat products. This suggests that Italian retailers do not consider PBMA as a direct alternative to the meat, but rather as a distinct food product category with its own retail management practices. The study also reveals that PBMA brand and business protein-orientation management practices influence pricing and sales. Retailers’ managerial approach shapes PBMA sales and consumer purchasing behavior.Originality/value The study is pioneering research on retailers and PBMA, a rapidly expanding food category. It focuses on Italy, a country where interest in alternative protein products remains limited but shows significant potential for growth. Finally, it provides a detailed analysis of in-store retail food management practices balancing PBMA with conventional meat products.

Nutritional features of organic peas (Pisum sativum L.) cultivated in different Italian environments and rheological profile of pea-enriched crackers.

Legumes are a key component of the human diet and a primary source of plant-based protein. They have attracted global attention as potential plant-based meat alternatives due to their numerous health benefits, and they contribute to a more sustainable and healthy food system. Among pulses, peas (Pisum sativum L.) are considered a good source of proteins, fibers, starch, minerals, and vitamins. This study evaluated the effect of environmental conditions on nutritional profile of peas cultivated in an organic farming system, in different Italian environments (mountainous and hilly), during different cultivation years (2021 and 2022). Pea grain from peas cultivated under the various conditions was used to prepare pea-based crackers containing 6% pea flour. The appearance, physical properties (rheology and texture), and nutritional profile of the snacks were evaluated, and sensory analysis was conducted. The nutritional and bioactive compounds were strongly related and the environment exerted a substantial impact on most of the nutritional components (proteins and carbohydrates), due to climatic conditions during the vegetative and reproductive stage of the crop. The incorporation of cultivated peas into wheat-based crackers improved their functional and nutritional quality while maintaining consumer acceptability, as demonstrated by sensory analysis. The results confirmed that growing conditions significantly influence the nutritional composition of peas, enhancing their quality and that of the resulting crackers. This aligns with the increasing global demand for high-quality, sustainable food products. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Nova fails to appreciate the value of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives in the diet.

Processed foods play an important role in achieving both food and nutrition security. However, in recent years, there has been increased concern about the health effects of food processing, in large part because of the emergence of the Nova food classification system. Nova classifies all foods into one of four groups purportedly based entirely on the extent to which they have been processed. Recommendations to limit intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) (group 4) are based primarily on observational studies showing that their intake is associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Nearly all plant milks and the entire new generation of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs), which are made using concentrated sources of plant protein, are classified as UPFs. This classification may deter the public from consuming and health professionals from recommending these products even though they represent a convenient way to increase plant protein intake in high-income countries, which is recommended by health authorities. However, although total UPF intake is associated with adverse health outcomes, this is not the case for many subcategories of UPFs. Furthermore, in many instances, clinical research shows that PBMAs and plant milks have beneficial effects relative to their animal-based counterparts (Group 1). Collectively, the evidence leads to two conclusions. First, PBMAs represent a viable approach for lowering the dietary animal to plant protein ratio. Second, Nova paints with too broad a brush and is insufficiently nuanced to serve as a public guide for food purchasing decisions and may distract consumers from focusing on the importance of nutrient content.

Plant-based meat alternatives and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Plant-based meat alternatives and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Are Argentinians ready for plant-based meat alternatives? A case study on awareness and willingness for consumption.

Are Argentinians ready for plant-based meat alternatives? A case study on awareness and willingness for consumption.

Replacing Animal Meat with Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: The Impact of Protein Quality on Protein Adequacy in the Dutch Diet

Replacing Animal Meat with Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: The Impact of Protein Quality on Protein Adequacy in the Dutch Diet

Formation of acrylamide in commercially available plant-based meat alternatives during domestic cooking

The formation and occurrence of acrylamide in carbohydrate-rich foods has been extensively studied over the course of the past few decades. However, the emergence of plant-based meat alternatives presents a new challenge in this field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of acrylamide in commercially available plant-based meat alternatives before and after heat treatment. Trace levels of acrylamide were detected in all samples before heat-treatment, while the concentrations increased in 11 samples out of 16 after heat-treatment. The highest concentration of acrylamide increased from 65.7 ± 6.6 µg kg−1 before to 119 ± 12 µg kg−1 after heat-treatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that besides macronutrient composition, the use of additives and processing techniques have a strong influence on acrylamide formation in plant-based meat alternatives. The latter was supported by the analysis of self-made meat alternative models that were prepared using only the base ingredients.

Consumer evaluations of commercially available plant-based cheddar cheese alternatives reveal inferior taste, nutrition and emotional appeal

Many people in the Western world wish to reduce dietary reliance on animal-based and animal-derived foods. Plant-based (PB) meat and dairy alternatives can aid in this transition, but in the dairy category, only the milk market is well developed. Attention in the present research is, therefore, directed to PB cheese alternatives (PBCA), which were studied relative to dairy cheeses in a consumer taste test (central location setting) with 157 New Zealand (NZ) consumers conducted in 2023. Five commercial semi-hard cheeses from cow’s milk and three commercial PBCAs in the cheddar style (n = 8) were tested. All samples were presented blind, and a multi-response measurement paradigm (hedonic, sensory, emotional, conceptual, situational, attitudinal) was used. Results showed that, without major exception, all PBCAs had lower liking ratings, inferior sensory, emotional and conceptual characterisations and poorer attitudinal and situational use evaluations than their dairy counterparts. Further, all of the PBCAs were rated similarly, as contrasted with the dairy cheese samples, which were differentiated based on textural and flavour attributes, liking and non-sensory characterisations. It was concluded that, as a whole, PBCAs in the 2023 NZ market are poorly accepted by consumers, suggesting that much more research and consumer-focused product development is needed before these products offer consumers suitable choices if they seek to transition from an animal-based to a PB diet.

Insights from traditional fermented legumes towards the innovation of modern plant-based meat analogues

The future generation of plant-based meat alternatives may be based on ancient fermented foods with limited additives and processing steps.

Como os consumidores brasileiros tomam a decisão de compra de um produto PLANT-BASED MEAT?

The consumption of animal products has significant negative effects on the environment and on human health. As a result, a reduction in meat consumption is necessary. The transition to plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) is one of the potential solutions to environmental and health issues that can ensure sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12). The present study identified and analyzed the motivation factors for reducing or eliminating animal protein from consumers' diets, as well as the consumption decision factors for PBMA products through a semi-structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Currently, consumers can choose either exclusively plant-based brands or plant-based line brands from the traditional animal protein industry. The PBMA market is expected to grow in the coming years as the awareness, familiarity, and knowledge of the target audience of this study, which encompasses flexitarians, vegetarians, ovolactovegetarians, and vegans, increases. Companies must focus on the factors that have been driving Brazilian consumers' decision making in consuming PBMA if they want to win over their target market. These factors mainly involve price, healthiness, sensory aspects, and the ultraprocessing.

Plant‐Based Meat Alternatives Intake and Its Association With Health Status Among Vegetarians of the UK Biobank Volunteer Population

ABSTRACTConsumption of plant‐based meat alternatives (PBMAs) within the vegetarian population is increasing. This study assessed the relationship between PBMA intake and health markers using the UK Biobank cohort. Participants were categorized into vegetarian PBMA consumers and vegetarian PBMA nonconsumers. Nonparametric statistical tests were used to evaluate differences in participants’ characteristics, food intake, and 30 blood biochemistry measures after assessing data distributions. Metabolomics (168 metabolites) and proteomics (2923 proteins) data were further examined to identify significant differences between the two participant groups. Relative risks (RRs) for 45 chronic diseases and mental conditions were calculated using Poisson regression. Sensitivity analysis accounted for sociodemographic factors, and the proportion of energy from ultra‐processed food (UPF) intake was determined. No substantial differences in sodium, free sugar, total sugar, or saturated fatty acids intake between vegetarian PBMA consumers and nonconsumers were found. However, PBMA consumers exhibited higher blood pressure (130/79 and 129/78 mmHg for consumer and nonconsumer groups, respectively) and elevated C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels (1.76 ± 3.12 and 1.57 ± 3.17 mg/L for consumer and nonconsumer groups, respectively). Metabolite and protein abundance analysis showed no notable differences. Pathway enrichment analysis suggested that PBMAs may influence immune reactions through cell signaling pathways. PBMA consumers had a 42% increased risk of depression (p = 0.03) and a 40% reduction in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) risk (p = 0.02), compared to nonconsumers. In conclusion, while no clear health risks or benefits were associated with PBMA consumption in vegetarians, the higher risk of depression, elevated CRP, and lower apolipoprotein A levels in PBMA consumers suggest potential inflammatory concerns that warrant further investigation.

Improvement of cereal- and legume-derived protein quality with selenium and sulfur for plant food production.

Selenium (Se) is essential for human and animal health and nutritional status. As humans cannot produce Se, it must be obtained from the diet. Adequate Se supplementation improves innate immunity, increases antioxidant capacity and helps prevent various disorders. Sulfur (S) is an indispensable nutrient that affects plant growth, performance and yield. Cereals and legumes are global staple foods, and their proteins are considered sustainable plant-based meat alternatives, which are increasingly popular. Owing to their physicochemical similarities, the crosstalk between Se and S influences cereal and grain-legume derived proteins. Modifications induced by Se and S might improve the protein quality of harvested cereal and legume grains. This timely review not only identifies the knowledge gaps in this research area focusing on Se and S enrichment in cereals and legumes but also emphasizes the potential of this unexplored area for new applications. S enrichment resulted in better quality properties in the bread of wheat flour and stimulated the expression of S-rich globulins and albumins in legumes. Se supplementation enhanced the emulsifying capacity of legumes (e.g. chickpeas). The improvement of protein fractions in cereal and legume grains has the potential to revolutionize protein processing to offer new alternatives to produce an array of S- and Se-enriched cereal and legume products. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Drivers of consumption of plant-based meat alternatives and their nutritional contributions: A mixed methods approach.

Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) are considered an alternative to animal products. We aimed to understand the patterns and drivers of consumption of PBMA and their nutritional contributions using dietary modelling, whilst also considering the relevance of processing. This study used a mixed methods exploratory sequential approach. Semistructured online interviews (n = 19) with consumers and nonconsumers of PBMA were conducted. Thematic analysis of interviews considered drivers of PBMA consumption, with content used to develop personas to represent key concepts driving incorporation (or lack of intake) into dietary patterns. Diets were modelled for personas, based on recommended and typical population intake and with variations in processed foods based on the Nova food classification system, including PBMA. Diets were analysed against nutrient reference values. The main drivers of PBMA consumption were animal welfare, health improvement and environmental concerns. Convenience, cost, taste, processing and thoughts that the nutritional value of PBMA was lesser than meats were all described. Six personas were identified from the interview content. The three most disparate personas (age, dietary pattern and nutrient requirements) were used for dietary modelling. Nutrient analyses showed diets predominantly meeting reference values, with deficiencies more likely when modelled on food choices typical of population intake and diets excluding processed foods. This study found that PBMA may have beneficial nutritional qualities such as lower saturated fat and higher dietary fibre when compared to their meat equivalents. PBMA may have a place in a healthy diet, whilst alleviating animal welfare and environmental concerns which were identified as key drivers of consumption.

Millennials’ intentions to buy plant-based meat alternatives: insights for quick-service restaurants.

Rapid population growth, shifting consumption patterns, and environmental stresses are challenging food security, raising concerns about the global food system's ability to sustainably feed the projected 9.3 billion people by 2050. Additionally, the increasing demand for Quick-Service Restaurants (QSRs) (also known as ‘fast-food chains’) intensifies environmental concerns. Their large-scale food production and factory farming practices contribute significantly to environmental degradation and animal welfare issues. In response to growing consumer awareness of environmental issues, QSRs have begun incorporating plant-based meat alternatives into their menus to align with sustainability objectives and appeal to eco-conscious consumers, particularly millennials. However, these alternatives face acceptance challenges due to perceptions of being highly processed and potentially containing genetically modified organisms. It is therefore essential to have a better understanding of the market’s purchasing intention to effectively market plant-based meat alternatives and advance QSRs’ sustainable practices.

Substitution patterns and price response for plant-based meat alternatives

Efforts to promote sustainable resource use through reduced meat consumption face challenges as global meat consumption persists. The resistance may be attributed to the lower sales price of meat compared to most plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). Addressing this, our research delves into the pivotal question of which PBMAs resonate most with consumers and how pricing affects demand. In a hypothetical restaurant context, we conducted 2 representative studies among 2,126 individuals in the United States to scrutinize preferences for meat, analog, semi-analog, and non-analog burgers. First, in a survey, we assessed rankings of the four burgers, alongside evaluating participants’ genuine consideration of these choices to discern a diverse preference distribution. Subsequently, in an experiment, we examined the influence of prices on participants’ consideration and choice of PBMAs, thereby capturing both phases of the decision-making process. Our survey shows that meat has considerably higher utility and consumer preference than all PBMAs on average, but we also find substantial heterogeneity (i.e., some consumers prefer PBMAs over meat). In the experiment, we establish that there is a negative association between the consideration of meat and PBMA burgers, though consideration of any one PBMA is positively associated with considering other PBMAs. A noteworthy increase in consideration and choice is observed when prices of PBMAs are reduced, while changing the price of the meat burger only has minimal effect on demand. Such findings underscore the importance of affordability beyond price parity in catalyzing the shift toward plant-based diets.

A perspective on the environmental impact of plant-based protein concentrates and isolates

Plant-based proteins are promoted as nutritious, environmentally safe, and a key element for food security. Numerous studies using environmental life cycle assessments confirmed plant-based meat alternatives are more environmentally favorable than animal-derived meat. However, most missed other factors from protein extraction and concentration that contribute to environmental impact (both positive and negative). Furthermore, few studies examined the entire environmental impact because they overlooked social and nutritional life cycle assessments. Many publications assumed most environmental impact occurred in crop cultivation before high protein products are manufactured. However, industrial plant-based protein extraction, concentration, and purification require large amounts of natural resources, energy, chemicals, and highly specialized equipment seldom accurately assessed from an environmental, social, and nutritional perspective. This paper presents opinions and perspectives on additional information to consider to fully realize environmental benefits of highly proteinaceous plant-based food ingredients. Elements are also discussed we perceive as “hot spots” for future assessments in presenting a complete picture for minimizing environmental impact and how the numerous actors in this supply chain can transform our food system and secure protein availability for future generations.

Nutritional profiling of plant-based meat alternatives and ground beef.

The objective of this study was to characterize the nutritional profile of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) and ground beef (GB). Beyond Beef (BEY); Impossible Burger (IMP), a third available product of plant-based protein, including SWEET EARTH, Incogmeato, Open Nature, and Good & Gather (GEN); and two lean levels of GB (regular [80%-85% lean, regular ground beef] and Lean [>93% lean, lean ground beef, LGB]) were purchased from retail stores across the United States. Proximate composition, mineral content, fatty acid profile, amino acid profile, and B-vitamin content were measured in raw products. Generally, PBMA had increased ash content which coincided with increased mineral concentration compared to GB, namely sodium, calcium, and zinc (p <0.05). Similar trends were observed for B-vitamins. The fatty acid profile of IMP was primarily saturated due to lauric acid (12:0) and myristic acid (14:0) concentrations. Both BEY and GEN were highly unsaturated because of linoleic acid concentration (18:2n6). LGB possessed the greatest total amino acid concentration and total essential amino acid content (p <0.05). Phenylalanine was increased in PBMA compared to GB (p <0.05). Overall, these data show differences and similarities between the nutritional profile of PBMA and GB. However, the bioavailability of these nutrients and associated health outcomes, particularly in PBMA, require further investigation.

Sentiments, barriers and predictors of acceptance for meat alternatives among UK meat consumers

There is a growing global demand for diets to be better for the environment and for human health. To support the shift toward sustainable diets, it is crucial to understand consumer attitudes and the barriers they face. To achieve this aim, this paper addresses the questions: What are the prevailing sentiments of UK meat consumers towards meat alternatives? What barriers do UK meat consumers face in trying and sustaining the consumption of meat alternatives? Data was obtained from 1074 UK respondents. The majority of respondents (82.4%) had tried plant-based meat alternatives, whereas most had not tried edible insects (88.8%), cultured meat (96.5%) or algae (73.7%). Sentiments towards plant-based alternatives were mainly positive while views on cultured meat, insects, and algae were more mixed or negative. Motivations for accepting and eating meat alternatives were primarily personal health benefits, animal welfare and environmental reasons in order of ranking. The results show that 18% are very likely to include meat alternatives in their future diets, followed by 39% who are open to the possibility and may consider it under the right circumstances. Ordered logistic regression identified several significant predictors for incorporating meat alternatives into future diets. Positive predictors included price competitiveness, variety, environmental motivation, health benefits, past experience with plant-based meat and algae and gender. Conversely, frequent meat consumption and safety concerns were negative predictors and reduced the odds of incorporating meat alternatives into diets. Key actions which consumers opine would encourage acceptance of meat alternatives includes educational programs, financial incentives and media campaigns with strong support for coordinated stakeholder efforts.