Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project
Nowadays, the interest in meat substitutes is increasing, and consumers perceive their nutritional quality better than that of the animal products they intend to resemble. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the overall nutritional quality of these new products. Regulated information [Regulati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.852831/full |
| _version_ | 1818047328696664064 |
|---|---|
| author | Sara Cutroneo Donato Angelino Tullia Tedeschi Nicoletta Pellegrini Daniela Martini SINU Young Working Group Margherita Dall'Asta Marika Dello Russo Daniele Nucci Stefania Moccia Gaetana Paolella Veronica Pignone Alice Rosi Emilia Ruggiero Carmela Spagnuolo Giorgia Vici |
| author_facet | Sara Cutroneo Donato Angelino Tullia Tedeschi Nicoletta Pellegrini Daniela Martini SINU Young Working Group Margherita Dall'Asta Marika Dello Russo Daniele Nucci Stefania Moccia Gaetana Paolella Veronica Pignone Alice Rosi Emilia Ruggiero Carmela Spagnuolo Giorgia Vici |
| author_sort | Sara Cutroneo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nowadays, the interest in meat substitutes is increasing, and consumers perceive their nutritional quality better than that of the animal products they intend to resemble. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the overall nutritional quality of these new products. Regulated information [Regulation (EU) 1169/2011], the presence/absence of nutrition or health claim and organic declarations, the gluten-free indication, and the number of ingredients were collected from the food labels of 269 commercial meat analogues currently sold on the Italian market. Nutritional information of reference animal meat products was used to compare the nutrition profile. As an indicator of the nutritional quality, the Nutri-Score of meat analogues and counterparts was also determined. Plant-based steaks showed significantly higher protein, lower energy, fats and salt contents, and better Nutri-Scores than the other analogues. All the meat analogues showed a higher fibre content than meat products, while plant-based burgers and meatballs had lower protein contents than meat counterparts. Ready-sliced meat analogues showed a lower salt content than cured meats. Overall, all these plant-based products showed a longer list of ingredients than animal meat products. Results from this survey highlighted that plant-based steaks, cutlets, and cured meats have some favourable nutritional aspects compared to animal-based products. However, they cannot be considered a “tout-court” alternative to meat products from a nutritional point of view. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:04:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e1c72aba6ba416088cf119ba3c5372d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:04:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e1c72aba6ba416088cf119ba3c5372d2022-12-22T01:53:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2022-04-01910.3389/fnut.2022.852831852831Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) ProjectSara Cutroneo0Donato Angelino1Tullia Tedeschi2Nicoletta Pellegrini3Daniela Martini4SINU Young Working GroupMargherita Dall'AstaMarika Dello RussoDaniele NucciStefania MocciaGaetana PaolellaVeronica PignoneAlice RosiEmilia RuggieroCarmela SpagnuoloGiorgia ViciFood and Drug Department, University of Parma, Parma, ItalyFaculty of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology, University of Teramo, Teramo, ItalyFood and Drug Department, University of Parma, Parma, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyDepartment of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyNowadays, the interest in meat substitutes is increasing, and consumers perceive their nutritional quality better than that of the animal products they intend to resemble. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the overall nutritional quality of these new products. Regulated information [Regulation (EU) 1169/2011], the presence/absence of nutrition or health claim and organic declarations, the gluten-free indication, and the number of ingredients were collected from the food labels of 269 commercial meat analogues currently sold on the Italian market. Nutritional information of reference animal meat products was used to compare the nutrition profile. As an indicator of the nutritional quality, the Nutri-Score of meat analogues and counterparts was also determined. Plant-based steaks showed significantly higher protein, lower energy, fats and salt contents, and better Nutri-Scores than the other analogues. All the meat analogues showed a higher fibre content than meat products, while plant-based burgers and meatballs had lower protein contents than meat counterparts. Ready-sliced meat analogues showed a lower salt content than cured meats. Overall, all these plant-based products showed a longer list of ingredients than animal meat products. Results from this survey highlighted that plant-based steaks, cutlets, and cured meats have some favourable nutritional aspects compared to animal-based products. However, they cannot be considered a “tout-court” alternative to meat products from a nutritional point of view.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.852831/fullmeat analoguesfood labellingfood qualityplant-based meat substitutesNutri-Score |
| spellingShingle | Sara Cutroneo Donato Angelino Tullia Tedeschi Nicoletta Pellegrini Daniela Martini SINU Young Working Group Margherita Dall'Asta Marika Dello Russo Daniele Nucci Stefania Moccia Gaetana Paolella Veronica Pignone Alice Rosi Emilia Ruggiero Carmela Spagnuolo Giorgia Vici Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project Frontiers in Nutrition meat analogues food labelling food quality plant-based meat substitutes Nutri-Score |
| title | Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project |
| title_full | Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project |
| title_short | Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project |
| title_sort | nutritional quality of meat analogues results from the food labelling of italian products flip project |
| topic | meat analogues food labelling food quality plant-based meat substitutes Nutri-Score |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.852831/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saracutroneo nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT donatoangelino nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT tulliatedeschi nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT nicolettapellegrini nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT danielamartini nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT sinuyoungworkinggroup nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT margheritadallasta nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT marikadellorusso nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT danielenucci nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT stefaniamoccia nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT gaetanapaolella nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT veronicapignone nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT alicerosi nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT emiliaruggiero nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT carmelaspagnuolo nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject AT giorgiavici nutritionalqualityofmeatanaloguesresultsfromthefoodlabellingofitalianproductsflipproject |