Ultraprocessed plant-based foods: Designing the next generation of healthy and sustainable alternatives to animal-based foods

Numerous examples of next-generation plant-based foods, such as meat, seafood, egg, and dairy analogs, are commercially available. These products are usually designed to have physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, and functional behaviors that match those of the animal-sourced products they are designed to replace. However, there has been concern about the potential negative impacts of these foods on human nutrition and health. In particular, many of these products have been criticized for being ultraprocessed foods that contain numerous ingredients and are manufactured using harsh processing operations. In this article, the concept of ultraprocessed foods is introduced and its relevance to describe the properties of next-generation plant-based foods is discussed. Most commercial plant-based meat, seafood, egg, and dairy analogs currently available do fall into this category, and so can be classified as ultraprocessed plant-based (UPB) foods. The nutrient content, digestibility, bioavailability, and gut microbiome effects of UPB foods are compared to those of animal-based foods, and the potential consequences of any differences on human health are discussed. Some commercial UPB foods would not be considered healthy based on their nutrient profiles, especially those plant-based cheeses that contain low levels of protein and high levels of fat, starch, and salt. However, it is argued that UPB foods can be designed to have good nutritional profiles and beneficial health effects. Finally, areas where further research are still needed to create a more healthy and sustainable food supply are discussed.

Automated summary

There are numerous commercially available next-generation plant-based foods that mimic meat, seafood, egg, and dairy products. Concerns have been raised about the potential negative impacts of these foods on human nutrition and health, as many of them are categorized as ultraprocessed foods. This article discusses the concept of ultraprocessed foods and its relevance to next-generation plant-based foods. Comparisons are made between the nutrient content, digestibility, bioavailability, and gut microbiome effects of ultraprocessed plant-based (UPB) foods and animal-based foods, and the potential consequences of these differences on human health are explored. It is argued that UPB foods can be designed to have good nutritional profiles and beneficial health effects. Further research is needed to create a more healthy and sustainable food supply.