Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Nutrients. 2023 Jan 15;15(2):452. doi: 10.3390/nu15020452.
There is a growing awareness that fostering the transition toward plant-based diets with reduced meat consumption levels is essential to alleviating the detrimental impacts of the food system on the planet and to improving human health and animal welfare. The reduction in average meat intake may be reached via many possible ways, one possibility being the increased consumption of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). For this reason, in recent years, hundreds of products have been launched on the market with sensory attributes (i.e., taste, texture, appearance, and smell) similar to their animal counterparts; however, these products have often a long list of ingredients and their nutritional values are very different from animal meat. The present review aims to highlight the main opportunities and challenges related to the production and consumption of PBMAs through an interdisciplinary approach. Aspects related to the production technology, nutritional profiles, potential impacts on health and the environment, and the current market and consumer acceptance of PBMAs are discussed. Focusing on the growing literature on this topic, this review will also highlight research gaps related to PBMAs that should be considered in the future, possibly through the collaboration of different stakeholders that can support the transition toward sustainable plant-based diets.
人们越来越意识到，促进向植物性饮食转变，减少肉类消费，对于减轻食品系统对地球的不利影响以及改善人类健康和动物福利至关重要。减少肉类摄入量可以通过多种方式实现，其中一种可能是增加植物性肉类替代品（PBMAs）的消费。出于这个原因，近年来，市场上推出了数百种具有类似动物产品感官属性（即味道、质地、外观和气味）的产品；然而，这些产品通常有一长串的成分，其营养价值与动物肉有很大的不同。本综述旨在通过跨学科的方法，强调与 PBMAs 的生产和消费相关的主要机遇和挑战。讨论了与生产技术、营养状况、对健康和环境的潜在影响以及当前 PBMAs 的市场和消费者接受度相关的方面。本综述还重点关注了关于这个主题的不断增长的文献，强调了未来应该考虑的与 PBMAs 相关的研究空白，这可能需要不同利益相关者的合作，以支持向可持续的植物性饮食转变。
