Is Plant-Based Meat a True Alternative to Animal Meat?INTERVIEW BY ANTONIO PICASSO WITH ELISABETTA BERNARDI
- 14 October 2024
- Posted by: Competere
- Category: Senza categoria
Formiche has published Antonio Picasso’s interview with Elisabetta Bernardi — a specialist in Nutritional Science, biologist, nutritionist, and professor at the University of Bari — where they discuss plant-based alternatives to meat. What is their nutritional contribution? In the collective imagination, these products seem to be eating into the market share of traditional meat industries, as if the substitution were a zero-sum game. But is that really the case? What happens when we don’t eat meat?
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You can read the full interview in Italian on Formiche or the English translation below.
Last week, the EU Court of Justice ruled that a member state cannot prohibit the use of terms traditionally associated with animal products to designate a product containing plant-based proteins. Europe thus gives its approval for veggie burgers to continue being called as such, with the risk of confusing consumers and flooding the market with products that can be misunderstood. A discussion on nutrition is necessary.
Professor, what happens if we don’t eat meat?
It is important to remember that we do not have a protein storage system in the body, as we do for fats (adipose tissue) or carbohydrates (liver and muscle glycogen). Body proteins are primarily found in muscles, or are essential parts of enzymes, hormones, hemoglobin, antibodies, and other cellular and tissue structures.
What are the immediate risks for the body if the diet is low in protein?
When the body needs proteins or amino acids and does not receive enough from the diet, it can begin to break down muscle proteins to obtain the necessary amino acids (the heart is also a muscle). This process is called protein catabolism and is one of the reasons why a diet insufficient in protein can lead to loss of muscle mass, compromising strength, physical functionality, and basal metabolism.
Are there categories of people for whom a protein-poor diet is particularly risky?
It is essential to consume an adequate amount of protein in the daily diet, especially during growth, aging, and in recovery periods from illnesses or following intense physical activity when the demand for protein increases. But allow me to go into detail.
Certainly…
Proteins in meat are a complete source of essential amino acids. Therefore, they must be provided through the diet. These amino acids are essential for the endogenous production of proteins, and their deficiency can lead to muscle catabolism, that is, the breakdown of muscle proteins because, in the absence of essential amino acids, the body cannot complete the protein synthesis process. Animal-derived foods help maintain muscle mass, especially in elderly individuals. For those following a plant-based diet, it is more challenging to ensure adequate protein intake.
And what about children and their growth process?
Animal-derived foods are particularly important for children’s growth. If one follows a vegetarian or vegan diet during childhood, it is crucial to ensure that all essential nutrients are consumed, even through supplements if necessary.
What is the nutritional contribution of plant foods?
A consumer trend to reduce meat consumption has stimulated the development and availability of alternative products. The goal would be to create highly refined plant-based meat analogs that imitate the taste, texture, and presentation of meat.
Why are plant-based products considered more environmentally sustainable?
What was once niche food for vegetarians is increasingly marketed to omnivores and flexitarians. This category of products is advantageous for its environmental footprint, but evidence regarding digestive effectiveness, nutritional quality, and health benefits is still lacking.
What are the main differences between animal and plant proteins from a structural and nutritional standpoint?
The molecular, chemical, and physical properties of plant-based ingredients are very different from those of animal origin. For example, in meat, proteins are soft and fibrous, and when chewing a steak, one perceives a juiciness due to the water retention properties of the protein network.
How are these properties simulated in plant-based meat?
Plant proteins are spherical, and to make them fibrous, various techniques must be employed, such as mixing protein powders, derived from soy, for instance, with other gluten-rich flours, water, and oils in an extruder. Inside, the materials are chopped, mixed, and homogenized. The compressed and heated material is finally extruded through an appropriate matrix to create the desired structure.
Are there other innovative technologies, like 3D printing, for producing plant-based meat?
Sometimes a 3D printer is used to simulate the fibrous structure. Other times, plant-based ingredients can be used as they are, such as with mycoproteins. Ideally, these plant-based products should also be designed to be healthy, which implies controlling their nutritional profile, digestibility, allergenicity, and bioavailability.
Are there potential risks associated with the additives used to simulate the taste of meat?
Flavorings are added to replicate the taste of animal meat. This may include natural flavorings, spices, and seasonings. Vegetable fats, often derived from oils, are added to mimic the marbling present in animal meat, improving the overall texture and palatability of the product.
Is plant-based meat as healthy as animal meat? What does research say?
A recent study published in a journal from the Nature group tells us that, despite apparent similarities based on nutritional data, metabolomic analysis found that the abundance of metabolites between plant-based meat alternatives and meat differs by 90%. In practice, they are different food products and cannot be considered interchangeable.
What are the exclusive nutrients found in animal meat that we do not find in plant alternatives?
Several metabolites, including docosahexaenoic acid (ω-3), niacinamide (vitamin B3), glucosamine, hydroxyproline, and antioxidants like allantoin and spermine, which are only found in beef. Conversely, the plant alternative contains exclusively nutrients such as ascorbate (vitamin C), phytosterols, and various phenolic antioxidants.
In conclusion, can we consider plant-based meat a complete alternative to animal meat?
Significant differences in metabolites within various nutrient classes indicate that these products should not be considered truly interchangeable from a nutritional perspective but could be regarded as complementary in terms of the nutrients provided.
