Vegetarian Meat Substitutes
- Project start date: 12 September 2020
- Project status: Completed
- Project type: Nutrition
- Discipline: Food reviews
- Principal researcher/s: Safefood research
Research objective
- To provide an overview of the different types and the nutritional content of vegetarian, plant based meat substitutes available online from a range of supermarkets on the island of Ireland
- To investigate consumer perceptions of the nutritional content of vegetarian, plant-based meat substitutes, their reported purchase, motivations and consumption of these products
Outputs
Research report
- Title: Vegetarian meat substitutes
- Publication date: 23 March 2021
- Summary: Products available in supermarkets on the island of Ireland and consumer behaviours and perceptions
- Findings:
- The audit identified 354 products including burgers, steaks, mince, meatballs, Bolognese, nuggets, fillets, goujons, escalopes, schnitzels, kievs, sausages, sausage rolls, pasties, pies, spring rolls, fish fingers/fillets/cakes, ham, bacon, pudding, kebabs, pulled pork, and duck. Also included were falafels and other bean/pulse based products, and vegetarian products such as cheese grills and melts.
- The products contain proteins from a number of ingredient sources including: Mycoprotein™-protein derived from fungi, especially as produced for human consumption; soya protein (rehydrated/reconstituted/dried/textured/concentrate/isolate/structure); pea protein (textured concentrate/rehydrated/ textured/isolate/pea flour); wheat protein (hydrated/rehydrated/textured/gluten); beans (black beans, soya beans, edamame soya beans, red kidney beans, haricot beans), peas (chickpeas, yellow split peas), lentils; mixed nuts; cheese (goat’s milk/cow’s milk); chestnut mushrooms, mushrooms; tempeh, quinoa; and tofu
- The products surveyed are highly processed and contain multiple ingredients, including ingredients added for flavour and texture.
- The protein content of the products surveyed varied and 28% of the products surveyed are not a source of or high in protein and consumers need to be aware of this if relying on these foods as a protein source.
- When the products are profiled according to front of pack traffic light labelling, they tend to be low in sugar and saturated fat, and medium for salt and total fat.
- The majority (80%) of the products are a source of fibre, which means they contain at least 3g of fibre per 100g. This is because these products have added carbohydrates unlike their equivalents meat products, which do not contain fibre in their natural form.
- One third of consumers reported eating meat substitutes such as vegan or vegetarian versions of burgers, sausages, chicken or fish.
- The most popular meat substitutes that participants reported eating were meat-substitute burgers; mince, meatballs & Bolognese; and sausage substitutes including sausage rolls.
- For those consumers who report eating plant-based meat substitutes, 48% of consumer on the island of Ireland eat them once a week or more.
- Of those consumers who report eating these products, one third reported that they select these products because of health/better for you, 21% because of taste and 15% because of environment/climate change.
- Recommendations:
- The plant-based meat-substitutes surveyed ranged in nutritional quality so consumers are advised to read labels and look for products containing sources of protein when possible.
