Is Soy-Based Vegan Meat Less Healthy? New Research Says No.

People are increasingly looking to reduce their meat consumption for all sorts of reasons, including to improve their health and reduce their impact on the environment. This means that the demand for plant-based alternatives is increasing, but at the same time there are still concerns about the nutritional quality of vegan meat. These negative views about the impact of processing can deter people from making the change.

Contrary to popular belief, vegan meat made from processed soy does not make it less nutritious, according to a new to study published in the journal of nutritional sciences Frontiers in Nutrition. This confirms soy’s status as a valuable protein source for plant-based products.

The study, conducted by scientists from multinational brand Unilever and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, challenged the idea that processed soy in products such as vegan meat is less nutritious and therefore an inadequate source of protein.

Prior to this study, little was known about the effect of processing methods on the nutritional quality of protein.

The science behind soy meat

For soybeans, various processing techniques are used to produce soy-based products, such as cleaning, crushing, hulling, and flaking soybeans, followed by oil extraction to make soy protein meal; and the additional step of removing insoluble carbohydrates to make soy protein isolate.

To obtain textured fibrous vegan meat that closely resembles animal meat, the soybean meal, concentrate and isolate undergo post-processing procedures such as extrusion. During extrusion, the protein material goes through a series of physical and chemical changes under thermomechanical treatment (or applying force at specific temperatures). The components present in the material interact and a meat-like structure can be formed.

To better understand the effect of processing on protein quality, the study evaluated the Digestibility Indispensable Amino Acid Scores (DIAAS), the standard measure of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, of various products. The higher the score, the better the protein source meets our body’s requirements, with a score of 75 or higher considered good.

impossible foods

Analysis of the data showed different protein quality scores between soy product groups, but the DIAAS score for soy protein concentrate, the most commonly used in foods such as plant-based meat, was 88, which it is slightly higher than that of whole soybeans, which scored 85. .

In addition, most soy products had high protein quality scores, and the researchers could increase or decrease quality through processing and post-processing conditions.

The wide variations in protein quality scores of soy products indicate that variations in protein quality scores can be attributed to various forms of further processing, such as additional heat treatment or moisture conditions. According to the researchers, this study shows that vegan alternatives to meat can meet our body’s protein needs.

vegetarian butcher

“For the first time, a study comprehensively finds that the quality of soy protein used in our plant-based foods is not compromised during processing, contrary to common misconceptions. In fact, processing the soy slightly increases the nutritional quality of the protein,” said Amelia Jarman, director of science and technology for future health and wellness at Unilever, in a statement.

The growth of vegan meat

Controlling the protein level of soy opens the door for plant-based food manufacturers to explore the nutritional and protein content of their products.

“Given the growing demand from environmentally conscious consumers who are looking to ditch meat but are still looking for high-quality, nutritious foods, this research is very exciting as it demonstrates that meat-free alternatives actually meet the protein requirements of our body,” Jarman said. he said.

Insights gained from the study will help Unilever further innovate plant-based meats for the consumer market and achieve its sustainability commitment. through the company future foods commitment, it pledged to reach €1 billion ($985 million) in annual sales of vegan meat and dairy alternatives by 2027, meaning consumers are likely to see a wider range of choices coming from the brand. .

In recent years, Unilever has added a growing number of plant-based products to its portfolio, including vegan ice cream flavors under its Ben & Jerry’s, Breyerstalent and Magnum brands In 2018, Unilever acquired the Netherlands-based company The Vegetarian Butcher and has since partnered with fast-food chains around the world to add vegan meat options to their menus, including king of burgers locations around the world.