Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Imitation Products and Comparison with Animal-Based Counterparts

While consumers are increasingly adopting plant-based meat and dairy imitation products, the nutritional quality and adequacy of those foods to act as a substitute is still under discussion. The Greek Branded Food Composition Database (HelTH) was expanded to map currently available meat and dairy imitations in Greece. Their main ingredient used, nutritional composition, and promotion as a healthy, nutritious food were described, and their overall nutritional quality using the Nutri-Score algorithm was evaluated. A total of n = 421 plant-based imitations were analyzed, made primarily of wheat or wheat mixes (83.5%) for meat imitations and grain (19.8%) or vegetable oil (17.1%) for dairy imitations. All meat imitations were high in protein and fiber, while, for dairy, only yogurts carried a protein content claim (80.9%). Imitation sausages, milk, and yogurt products had lower total fat and saturated fat content compared to their animal-based counterparts. All dairy imitations had lower protein content than animal-based dairy. The nutritional quality of imitation cheeses was graded as D-E, under the Nutri-Score system, compared to A-C for the animal-based cheese. Plant-based imitations have variable composition based on their main ingredient, and the substitution of specific food groups with plant-based alternatives may not support an equivalent or improved diet.

Automated summary

The nutritional quality and adequacy of plant-based meat and dairy imitation products as substitutes are still being debated. This study examined the nutritional composition and quality of currently available meat and dairy imitations in Greece using the Greek Branded Food Composition Database (HelTH) and the Nutri-Score algorithm.