Potential Impact of Meat Replacers on Nutrient Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Diets in Four European Countries

Elly Mertens, Sander Biesbroek, Marcela Dofková, Lorenza Mistura, Laura D’Addezio, Aida Turrini, Carine Dubuisson, Sabrina Havard, Ellen Trolle, Johanna M. Geleijnse and Pieter van ’t Veer
Additional contact information
Elly Mertens: Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Sander Biesbroek: Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Marcela Dofková: Center for Health, Nutrition and Food, National Institute of Public Health, 61242 Brno, Czech Republic
Lorenza Mistura: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Laura D’Addezio: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Aida Turrini: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Carine Dubuisson: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES)/Risk Assessment Department (DER, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France
Sabrina Havard: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES)/Risk Assessment Department (DER, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France
Ellen Trolle: Division of Risk Assessment and Nutrition, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Bygning 202, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Johanna M. Geleijnse: Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Pieter van ’t Veer: Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: Meat replacers could play a role in achieving more plant-based diets, but their current consumption is limited. The present modelling study aimed to explore the nutritional and greenhouse gas emissions impacts of meat replacers. Using dietary surveys from Denmark, Czech Republic, Italy and France (~6500 adults), we composed alternative diets in which all the meat in the observed diet (in grams) was substituted by similar use meat replacers (with and without fortification). Starting from the observed diets and meat-replacement diets, diets with improved adherence to food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) were modelled using Data Envelopment Analysis. These improved diets were then further optimised for dietary preferences (MaxP, diet similarity index), nutrient quality (MaxH, Nutrient Rich Diet score, NRD15.3) or diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) (MaxS, CO 2 equivalents). In all optimised modelled diets, the total amount of meat was lower than in the observed diets, i.e., 30% lower in the MaxP, 50% lower in the MaxH, and 75% lower in the MaxS diets. In the MaxP diet, NRD15.3 was ~6% higher, GHGE was ~9% lower, and ~83% of food intake remained similar. In the MaxH diet, NRD15.3 was ~17% higher, GHGE was ~15% lower, and ~66% of food intake remained similar. In the MaxS diet, NRD15.3 was ~9% higher, GHGE was ~33% lower, and ~65% of food intake remained similar. When using fortified meat replacers, for all modelled diets, the diet similarity was on average 2% lower and the GHGE reduction was on average 3% higher as compared with the same scenarios without fortification. This analysis showed that meat replacers, provided their preference is similar to meat, can provide benefits for GHGE, without necessarily compromising nutrient quality.

Keywords: diet modelling; environmental impact; greenhouse gas emissions; nutritional quality; preferable; scenario analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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