Nutritional Composition of Ultra-Processed Plant-Based Foods in the Out-of-Home Setting: A Case-Study with Vegan Burgers

Abstract publicado em: Proceedings.2023;91(1):4. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2023091004Ultra-processed plant-based foods, such as plant-based burgers, have gained popularity and are perceived by consumers as a healthier and more environmentally sustainable alternative to animal-based foods. However, evidence regarding their nutritional profile and environmental sustainability is still evolving. To contribute to the understanding of the nutrient profile of ultra-processed plant-based foods in the out-of-home environment. Cities in four WHO European Member States were selected for study in a convenience sample across the regions of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Lisbon, and London. Plant-based burgers available at selected out-of-home sites were randomly sampled. In total 41 plant-based burgers were lab-analyzed for their energy, macronutrients, amino-acids and minerals content per 100 g and per serving size. Descriptive data were used to summarize the nutritional composition per 100 g and serving size. The content per serving was compared to the appropriate reference values. The median energy content was 234 kcal/100 g (IQR = 50). Median macronutrient composition was 20.8 g/100 g (IQR = 5.7) carbohydrates and 3.5 g/100 g (IQR = 1.8) dietary fibre. Protein content was 8.9 g/100 g (IQR = 3.7) with low protein quality. The median total fat content was 12.0 g/100 g (IQR = 4.2), including 0.08 g (IQR = 0.05) TFA and 2.2 g (IQR = 2.3) SFA. The median sodium content was 389 mg/100 g (IQR = 113), equivalent to 2.7 g salt. When compared with reference values, the median serving of plant-based burgers (280 g) provided 31% of energy intake and contributed 17–28% of carbohydrates, 42% of dietary fibre, 40% of protein, and 48% of total fat including 26% of SFA. The burgers had low-quality protein. One serving provided 15–20% of the reference values for calcium, potassium, and magnesium, while higher contributions were found for zinc (30%), manganese (38%), phosphorus (51%), and iron (67%). Ultra-processed plant-based foods, such as plant-based burgers, provide protein, dietary fibre, and essential minerals. They also contain high levels of energy, sodium, and fatty acids. Despite their potential as a source of protein, the quality of protein in plant-based burgers is low. The multifaceted nutritional profile of plant-based burgers highlights the need for manufacturers to implement improvements to better support healthy dietary habits. These improvements should include reducing salt and fatty acids while also enhancing protein quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of foods, drinks and diets in the Netherlands according to the degree of processing for nutritional quality, environmental impact and food costs.

Objective: This study investigates nutritional quality, environmental impact and costs of foods and drinks and their consumption in daily diets according to the degree of processing across the Dutch population. Design: The NOVA classification was used to classify the degree of processing (ultra-processed foods (UPF) and ultra-processed drinks (UPD)). Food consumption data were derived from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2012–2016. Indicators assessed were nutritional quality (saturated fatty acids (SFA), sodium, mono and disaccharides (sugar), fibre and protein), environmental impact (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and blue water use) and food costs. Setting: The Netherlands. Participants: Four thousand three hundred thirteen Dutch participants aged 1 to 79 years. Results: Per 100 g, UPF were more energy-dense and less healthy than unprocessed or minimally processed foods (MPF); UPF were associated with higher GHG emissions and lower blue water use, and were cheaper. The energy and sugar content of UPD were similar to those of unprocessed or minimally processed drinks (MPD); associated with similar GHG emissions but blue water use was less, and they were also more expensive. In the average Dutch diet, per 2000 kcal, ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPFD) covered 29% (456 g UPF and 437 g UPD) of daily consumption and 61% of energy intake. UPFD consumption was higher among children than adults, especially for UPD. UPFD consumption determined 45% of GHG emissions, 23% of blue water use and 39% of expenses for daily food consumption. UPFD consumption contributed 54% to 72% to daily sodium, sugar and SFA intake. Conclusions: Compared with unprocessed or minimally processed foods and drinks, UPF and UPD were found to be less healthy considering their high energy, SFA, sugar and sodium content. However, UPF were associated higher GHG emissions and with less blue water use and food costs. Therefore daily blue water use and food costs might increase if UPF are replaced by those unprocessed or minimally processed. As nutritional quality, environmental impacts and food costs relate differently to the NOVA classification, the classification is not directly applicable to identify win–win-wins of nutritional quality, environmental impact and costs of diets

Increasing Seaweed Consumption in the Netherlands and Portugal and the Consequences for the Intake of Iodine, Sodium, and Exposure to Chemical Contaminants: A Risk-Benefit Study.

Background: Seaweed has a high potential for nourishing the future planet. However, besides being beneficial, it also contains adverse components; this poses the question whether consumption of seaweed foods overall contributes beneficially or detrimentally to human health, and hence if their consumption should be promoted or restricted. Methods: This study evaluated the impact of substituting regular foods with seaweed foods in the diet, both in terms of nutritional quality (via iodine and sodium) and food safety (via arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury). Food consumption data from the Netherlands and Portugal (adults aged >18 years) were used, in which 10% of the amounts of pasta, bacon, and lettuce consumed were replaced by seaweed-derived products made from kelp (Saccharina latissima). Using Monte Carlo Risk Assessment software (MCRA), long-term nutrient intake and exposure to contaminants were assessed. The results obtained for the Netherlands and Portugal were compared with data from Japan, a country that has a high natural consumption of seaweed. Results: This low-tier risk-benefit study reveals that an increased seaweed consumption (as assessed by the 10% replacement with seaweed products) has no consequences in terms of intake of sodium and exposure to cadmium, lead, and mercury, and the associated (absence of) adverse health aspects. The alternative scenario almost doubled the mean iodine intake in the Netherlands (to 300 μg/day) and Portugal (to 208 μg/day) and increased the average exposure to arsenic levels in the Netherlands (to 1.02 μg/kg bw/day) and Portugal (to 1.67 μg/kg bw/day). Conclusion: The intake of iodine and exposure to arsenic in the Netherland and Portugal were certainly higher due to the modeled increase of seaweed foods. If seaweed consumption increases close to the 10% substitution, the public health consequences thereof may trigger further research

Adherence to the EAT-Lancet Healthy Reference Diet in Relation to Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Environmental Impact: Results From the EPIC-NL Cohort.

Background The Healthy Reference Diet (HRD) was created to formulate dietary guidelines that would be healthy and sustainable. We aimed to construct a diet score measuring adherence to the HRD and to explore its association with cardiovascular events and environmental impact. Methods and Results We included 35 496 participants from the population-based EPIC-NL (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands) study. HRD scores were calculated using data from food frequency questionnaires (0-140). Data on morbidity and mortality were retrieved through linkage with national and death registries. Data on environmental impact indicators were obtained from life cycle assessments. Associations between adherence to the HRD and cardiovascular events were estimated with Cox proportional hazard models. Linear regression analysis was conducted for the adherence to the HRD and each environmental indicator. High adherence to the HRD was associated with 14%, 12%, and 11% lower risks of cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR]Q4vsQ1, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.78-0.94]), coronary heart disease (HRQ4vsQ1, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.78-1.00]), and total stroke (HRQ4vsQ1, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.72-1.10]), respectively. High HRD adherence was associated with 2.4% (95% CI, -5.0 to 0.2) lower greenhouse gas emissions, 3.9% (95% CI, -5.2 to -2.6) less land use, 0.5% (95% CI, -2.6 to 1.6), less freshwater eutrophication, 3.3% (95% CI, -5.8 to -0.8), less marine eutrophication, 7.7% (95% CI, -10.8 to -4.6), less terrestrial acidification, and 32.1 % (95% CI, 28.5-35.7) higher blue water use. Conclusions High adherence to the HRD was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and modestly lower levels of most environmental indicators but a higher level of blue water use

Adherence to the EAT‐Lancet Healthy Reference Diet in Relation to Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Environmental Impact: Results From the EPIC‐NL Cohort

Background The Healthy Reference Diet (HRD) was created to formulate dietary guidelines that would be healthy and sustainable. We aimed to construct a diet score measuring adherence to the HRD and to explore its association with cardiovascular events and environmental impact. Methods and Results We included 35 496 participants from the population‐based EPIC‐NL (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition‐Netherlands) study. HRD scores were calculated using data from food frequency questionnaires (0–140). Data on morbidity and mortality were retrieved through linkage with national and death registries. Data on environmental impact indicators were obtained from life cycle assessments. Associations between adherence to the HRD and cardiovascular events were estimated with Cox proportional hazard models. Linear regression analysis was conducted for the adherence to the HRD and each environmental indicator. High adherence to the HRD was associated with 14%, 12%, and 11% lower risks of cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR]Q4vsQ1, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.78–0.94]), coronary heart disease (HRQ4vsQ1, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.78–1.00]), and total stroke (HRQ4vsQ1, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.72–1.10]), respectively. High HRD adherence was associated with 2.4% (95% CI, −5.0 to 0.2) lower greenhouse gas emissions, 3.9% (95% CI, −5.2 to −2.6) less land use, 0.5% (95% CI, −2.6 to 1.6), less freshwater eutrophication, 3.3% (95% CI, −5.8 to −0.8), less marine eutrophication, 7.7% (95% CI, −10.8 to −4.6), less terrestrial acidification, and 32.1 % (95% CI, 28.5–35.7) higher blue water use. Conclusions High adherence to the HRD was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and modestly lower levels of most environmental indicators but a higher level of blue water use

Different levels of ultra-processed food and beverage consumption and associations with environmental sustainability and all-cause mortality in EPIC-NL.

The average UPFD consumption was 181 (SD 88) g per 1000 kcal. High UPF consumption was statistically significantly inversely associated with all environmental impact indicators (Q4vsQ1: -13.6% to -3.0%) whereas high UPD consumption was, except for land use, statistically significant positively associated with all environmental impact indicators (Q4vsQ1: 5.9% to 1.2%). High UPFD consumption was heterogeneously associated with environmental impacts (Q4vsQ1: 2.6% to -4.0% ). After multivariable adjustment, the highest quartiles of UPFD and UPD consumption were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HRQ4vsQ1 1.20, 95%CI 1.10,1.30 and HRQ4vsQ1 1.19, 95%CI 1.09,1.29, respectively). UPF consumption of Q2 and Q3 were associated with a borderline significant lower risk of all-cause mortality (HRQ2vsQ1 0.93, 95% CI 0.85,1.00; HRQ3vsQ1 0.91, 95% CI 0.84,0.99), while Q4 was not statistically significant (HRQ4vsQ1 1.05, 95% CI 0.96,1.15)

Different levels of ultra-processed food and beverage consumption and associations with environmental sustainability and all-cause mortality in EPIC-NL.

The average UPFD consumption was 181 (SD 88) g per 1000 kcal. High UPF consumption was statistically significantly inversely associated with all environmental impact indicators (Q4vsQ1: -13.6% to -3.0%) whereas high UPD consumption was, except for land use, statistically significant positively associated with all environmental impact indicators (Q4vsQ1: 5.9% to 1.2%). High UPFD consumption was heterogeneously associated with environmental impacts (Q4vsQ1: 2.6% to -4.0% ). After multivariable adjustment, the highest quartiles of UPFD and UPD consumption were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HRQ4vsQ1 1.20, 95%CI 1.10,1.30 and HRQ4vsQ1 1.19, 95%CI 1.09,1.29, respectively). UPF consumption of Q2 and Q3 were associated with a borderline significant lower risk of all-cause mortality (HRQ2vsQ1 0.93, 95% CI 0.85,1.00; HRQ3vsQ1 0.91, 95% CI 0.84,0.99), while Q4 was not statistically significant (HRQ4vsQ1 1.05, 95% CI 0.96,1.15)