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Overview
Overview
Much has been made of the environmental benefits of alternative proteins and health advantages of plant-forward diets, but the public health proposition of bioavailable, fortified plant-based foods remains overlooked.
Narratives around ultra-processing have led to unwarranted distrust of these foods, broadly because few in the food systems space have specific expertise in them, while the ultra-processed foods (UPF) discourse is widely known. This has led to incorrect assumptions even from those generally supportive of protein diversification.
There was a clear need to actively engage with this topic, and I conducted a comprehensive review of the evidence available on processed plant-based foods and health.
Keen to avoid 'unknown unknowns', I collaborated with a wide range of stakeholders to produce a report summarising the evidence on plant-based meat and health in 2023, followed up by a guide on UPF specifically in 2025 co-authored with PAN.
These guides evaluated the benefits and drawbacks of processed plant-based foods and were very well received by a wide range of stakeholders, many of whom were very interested in the problems these foods target, but with little knowledge of these foods or research on them to date.
Alignment with the EAT-Lancet Commission
Alignment with the EAT-Lancet Commission
The growing focus on nutrient density in PHD often neglects the very critical role of fortified, nutrient-optimised plant (and fungi)-based foods alongside animal-source foods. The ingredients are cheaper, less resource intensive, and rely on shorter supply chains than animal-based foods, making them a big opportunity area for food security. In the European context, these foods are far newer and yet already far more widely eaten than traditional high protein plant foods like seitan, tempeh and tofu, showing usefulness in supporting mainstream adoption.
Our work to date has been very impactful, cited by the UK SACN, and has received a very positive reception from stakeholders wanting to learn how our expertise applies to their challenges.
Key actors
Key actors
Alternative protein researchers
Public health experts
Dieticians and medical professionals
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
While many know the harms of current overconsumption of processed meat, few know much about plant-based meat’s nutritional profile, with most neglecting its real public health potential to replace processed meat with minimal required behaviour change.
Stakeholders really value accessible resources covering both benefits and drawbacks – it’s easy to forget how many people want solutions to the problems we are trying to solve, but unless they know about them they can’t implement them!
Next steps
Next steps
Identify further evidence gaps needed to demonstrate the opportunities and considerations of fortified nutrient dense PB foods.
Work with public health experts to establish nutrient thresholds and improve consistency
Continue to work with and educate healthcare professionals on the potential of these foods for patients struggling to reduce processed meat intake or with special dietary needs.
For more information contact: Amy Williams at amyw@gfi.org
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