Should dietary guidelines recommend low red meat intake?

The Vital Roles of Agricultural Crop Residues and Agro-Industrial By-Products to Support Sustainable Livestock Productivity in Subtropical Regions

Sustainable livestock production is a critical component of global food security and environmental stewardship. Agricultural crop residues, such as cereal straws, stovers, and hulls, as well as agro-industrial by-products, including oilseed meals, distillery wastes, and fruit/vegetable processing residues, are generated in large quantities worldwide, and these residues can be used in the diet of the animals to reduce the feed production cost and sustainability. In this review, we found that the use of treated crop residues in the diet of animals increased the production performance without causing any side effects on their health. Additionally, we also noticed that using these crop residues also mitigates the methane production in ruminants and feed costs, particularly for harvesting the feed crops. Traditionally, these materials have often been underutilized or even disposed of improperly, leading to wastage of valuable nutrients and potential environmental pollution. By incorporating these materials into animal feed formulations, livestock producers can benefit from several key advantages. The review further discusses the challenges and considerations involved in the effective utilization of these alternative feed resources, such as variability in nutrient composition, anti-nutritional factors, and the need for appropriate preprocessing and formulation strategies. Emerging technologies and innovative approaches to optimize the integration of crop residues and by-products into sustainable livestock production systems and also reduce global warming, particularly methane, CO2 and other particles that affect the environment after burning these crop residues, are also highlighted. By synthesizing the current knowledge and exploring the multifaceted benefits, this review underscores the vital roles that agricultural crop residues and agro-industrial by-products can play in fostering the sustainability and resilience of livestock production, ultimately contributing to global food security and environmental stewardship.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal the mechanism of Chinese herb ultrafine powder improving meat nutritional value in aged laying hens

This study investigated the effects of dietary Chinese herb ultrafine powder (CHUP) supplementation on meat quality, plasma biochemical parameters, and fatty acid and amino acid composition in pectoral muscles of aged laying hens. A total of 576 Xinyang black-feather laying hens (300-d-old) were randomly allocated to eight groups, including the control group (fed a basal diet) and different CHUP groups (details in 'Materials and methods' section). The trial lasted 120 d. The findings showed that L-LF and L-LF-T supplementation increased the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.05), while CHUP supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the total essential amino acid content in pectoral muscles. Network pharmacology analysis predicted that L-LF-T supplementation mainly influenced the PPAR signaling pathway, which is associated with meat quality. These findings suggest that CHUP supplementation can enhance the nutritional value of pectoral muscles, potentially through its association with the PPAR signaling pathway in aged laying hens.

Assessing the Roles of Retinol, Vitamin K2, Carnitine, and Creatine in Plant-Based Diets: A Narrative Review of Nutritional Adequacy and Health Implications

Plant-based diets are associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risks of chronic diseases. However, questions persist regarding the implications of lower dietary intakes of certain non-essential nutrients, such as retinol, vitamin K2, carnitine, and creatine, which are primarily found in animal-derived foods. This narrative review evaluates the roles of these nutrients in human physiology and examines whether their absence in plant-based diets is likely to impact health outcomes. Retinol requirements can be met through the consumption of provitamin A carotenoids in plant foods, even in individuals with reduced conversion efficiency. Endogenous synthesis adequately supports physiological needs for vitamin K2, and currently available evidence does not consistently demonstrate that dietary vitamin K2 provides additional benefits for bone or cardiovascular health. Carnitine and creatine levels may differ between individuals following omnivorous and plant-based diets, but these differences do not result in compromised muscle function, cognitive health, or metabolic outcomes. Current evidence does not indicate that the absence of these non-essential nutrients in plant-based diets adversely affects health or confers disadvantages compared to omnivorous diets.

Red Meat Consumption and its Relationship With Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Pathophysiology and Literature

Red meat is the muscle meat of mammals like beef, lamb, and pork that is red due to the abundance of myoglobin pigment and becomes even darker when cooked. The global average per capita consumption of meat and the total amount of meat consumed is rising, and there has been a particularly marked increase in the global consumption of chicken and pork. The consumption of red meat has always been a contentious issue, with data suggesting benefits in terms of nutritional value and at the same time linking its consumption to major health disorders such as endocrine abnormalities, gastrointestinal issues, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Despite being normalized by major food franchises, red meat consumption may lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and cardiac failure. Given the evidence that indicates the consumption of red and processed meat as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality, it is important to review the effects of red meat on the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Ultra-processed vegan foods: Healthy alternatives to animal-source foods or avoidable junk?

Animal-source foods (ASFs), namely, meat, milk, eggs, and derived products, are crucial components of a well-balanced diet owing to their contribution with multiple essential nutrients. The benefits of the consumption of ASFs in terms of hedonic responses, emotional well-being, and mood are also widely documented. However, an increasing share of consumers decide to exclude ASFs from their diets. Some of these vegan consumers are inclined to consume so-called "meat" and/or "dairy analogs," which are produced from plant materials (soy, wheat, and oat, among others). In order to simulate appearance, texture, and flavor of ASFs, these industrial vegan foods are designed using an intricate formulation and industrial processing, which justifies their identification as ultraprocessed foods (UPFs). While the introduction of these processed vegan products is becoming popular in developed countries, the consequences of the sustained intake of these products on human health are mostly ignored. Contrarily to common belief, which emphasizes their role as "healthy" alternatives to ASFs, these plant-based UPFs may enclose certain threats, which are reviewed in the present paper. The remarkable differences between vegan UPFs and the genuine ASFs (meat/dairy products) from sensory, nutritional, hedonic, or health perspectives precludes the designation of the former as analogs of the latter. Understanding the basis of these differences would contribute to (i) providing consumers with grounds to make reasoned decisions to consume meat/dairy products and/or the vegan alternatives and (ii) providing food companies with strategies to produce more appealing, nutritive, and healthy industrially processed vegan products.

Diet quality indexes for use during pregnancy: a scoping review

AIMS

High diet quality is related to better health outcomes in general. During pregnancy, a high-quality diet is of paramount importance to promote optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes. This is a scoping review of research available on diet quality indexes (DQIs) for use during pregnancy that summarizes the DQIs in terms of development, country of origin, population used, components, scoring and weighting of components, and evaluation. Furthermore, the DQIs are discussed narratively to inform and direct the development of improved and country-specific DQIs for pregnancy.

METHODS

The EBSCOhost database was used to identify English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2023, from which 11 publications were identified that describe the development of pregnancy-specific DQIs. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews model.

RESULTS

Almost all DQIs (n = 9 of 11) were developed in high-income countries, using dietary intake data from food frequency questionnaires. Several DQIs (n = 5 of 11) used the US Healthy Eating Index as basis and modified it in various ways. Almost all DQIs included both foods and nutrients as components (n = 9 of 11), with vegetables being the most commonly included component alone (n = 8 of 11) or combined with fruit (n = 2 of 11).

CONCLUSION

Because most DQIs were developed using dietary guidelines, recommendations, and dietary intake data from high-income countries, it is recommended that pregnancy-specific DQIs be developed and validated to reflect the nutrition guidelines for lower-income and culturally diverse countries.

Nutritional quality of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, and new front-of-package labeling (FOPL) in Brazil

The nutritional quality of 132 plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) and 242 plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDAs) in the Brazilian market was evaluated for nutritional content reported in the labeling. Added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium limits were also observed according to the new Brazilian front-of-pack labeling (FOPL). In general, PBMAs have a considerable content of protein, dietary fiber and reduced content of saturated fat and sodium, while PBDAs have a low Na content, a high content of total and saturated fat, but are poor in protein and dietary fiber. Regarding micronutrients, PBMAs can be considered a source of iron, and PBDAs are a source of calcium. For FOPL, 37% of PBDAs and 21% of PBMAs must have the descriptions "high in saturated fat" and "high in sodium", respectively, on their labels. Therefore, the PBMAs and PBDAs available on the Brazilian market have great potential to contribute to a healthy diet, however, aspects such as the absorption of nutrients and their effects on health and the possibility of total or partial replacement of meat and dairy products should be considered in future investigations. In addition, the data presented are useful to assist consumers, food industries, and regulatory bodies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05887-w.

Insights into the nutritional prevention of macular degeneration based on a comparative topic modeling approach

Topic modeling and text mining are subsets of natural language processing (NLP) with relevance for conducting meta-analysis (MA) and systematic review (SR). For evidence synthesis, the above NLP methods are conventionally used for topic-specific literature searches or extracting values from reports to automate essential phases of SR and MA. Instead, this work proposes a comparative topic modeling approach to analyze reports of contradictory results on the same general research question. Specifically, the objective is to identify topics exhibiting distinct associations with significant results for an outcome of interest by ranking them according to their proportional occurrence in (and consistency of distribution across) reports of significant effects. Macular degeneration (MD) is a disease that affects millions of people annually, causing vision loss. Augmenting evidence synthesis to provide insight into MD prevention is therefore of central interest in this article. The proposed method was tested on broad-scope studies addressing whether supplemental nutritional compounds significantly benefit macular degeneration. Six compounds were identified as having a particular association with reports of significant results for benefiting MD. Four of these were further supported in terms of effectiveness upon conducting a follow-up literature search for validation (omega-3 fatty acids, copper, zeaxanthin, and nitrates). The two not supported by the follow-up literature search (niacin and molybdenum) also had scores in the lowest range under the proposed scoring system. Results therefore suggest that the proposed method's score for a given topic may be a viable proxy for its degree of association with the outcome of interest, and can be helpful in the systematic search for potentially causal relationships. Further, the compounds identified by the proposed method were not simultaneously captured as salient topics by state-of-the-art topic models that leverage document and word embeddings (Top2Vec) and transformer models (BERTopic). These results underpin the proposed method's potential to add specificity in understanding effects from broad-scope reports, elucidate topics of interest for future research, and guide evidence synthesis in a scalable way. All of this is accomplished while yielding valuable and actionable insights into the prevention of MD.

Dietary management of dyslipidemia

The rising burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has made the achievement of optimal lipoprotein levels a major public health priority. As nearly a fifth of global mortality is associated with dietary factors, and recommendations have been mired in controversy, a fresh look on the available data is attempted. Well established concepts regarding nutrition and cardiometabolic health, role of macronutrients, calories, and controversial foods are discussed followed by recommendations in the Indian context. A healthy dietary pattern rather than individual foods or nutrients is emphasized, and this is generally plant based with optional consumption of dairy, eggs, and meats within the suggested limits. Suggestions/recommendations are given for consumption of individual foods, remembering that choosing appropriate replacement foods is as important as restricting unhealthy foods.

Bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers' behavior towards rabbit, beef, chicken, turkey, and lamb meat: A comparative review

In bodybuilders' diets, protein plays a crucial role in supporting muscle growth and repairing damaged muscle tissue. These individuals meet their protein needs by combining dietary sources with supplements. Animal-based proteins are often preferred over plant-based proteins because they are believed to better support muscle protein synthesis. This review explores the meat consumption patterns of bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers, focusing on rabbit, beef, chicken, turkey, and lamb. We describe and compare the types of meat bodybuilders commonly consume and provide an overview of protein supplements, including meat-based options, plant-based alternatives, and whey-based products. Our aim is to gain insight into the dietary preferences of bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers, considering their nutritional requirements and the potential effect on the meat industry. We conducted an extensive search across various databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. We found that individual choices vary based on factors such as attitudes, trust, taste, texture, nutritional content, ethical considerations, and cultural influences. Nutritional factors, including protein content, amino acid profiles, and fat levels, significantly influence the preferences of bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers. However, it is crucial to maintain a balance by incorporating other essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to ensure a complete and balanced diet. The findings from this review can inform strategies and product development initiatives tailored to the needs of bodybuilders and discerning meat enthusiasts.

Reducing meat and/or dairy consumption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of effects on protein intake, anthropometric values, and body composition

CONTEXT

Consumers are increasingly encouraged to reduce meat and dairy consumption. However, few meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of reducing meat and/or dairy on (absolute) protein intake, anthropometric values, and body composition are available.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of reducing meat and/or dairy consumption on (absolute) protein intake, anthropometric values, and body composition in adults aged ≥ 45 years.

DATA SOURCES

The MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform databases were searched up to November 24, 2021.

DATA EXTRACTION

Randomized controlled trials reporting protein intake, anthropometric values, and body composition were included.

DATA ANALYSIS

Data were pooled using random-effects models and expressed as the mean difference (MD) with 95%CI. Heterogeneity was assessed and quantified using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. In total, 19 RCTs with a median duration of 12 weeks (range, 4-24 weeks) and a total enrollment of 1475 participants were included. Participants who consumed meat- and/or dairy-reduced diets had a significantly lower protein intake than those who consumed control diets (9 RCTs; MD, -14 g/d; 95%CI, -20 to -8; I2 = 81%). Reducing meat and/or dairy consumption had no significant effect on body weight (14 RCTs; MD, -1.2 kg; 95%CI, -3 to 0.7; I2 = 12%), body mass index (13 RCTs; MD, -0.3 kg/m2; 95%CI, -1 to 0.4; I2 = 34%), waist circumference (9 RCTs; MD, -0.5 cm; 95%CI, -2.1 to 1.1; I2 = 26%), amount of body fat (8 RCTs; MD, -1.0 kg; 95%CI, -3.0 to 1.0; I2 = 48%), or lean body mass (9 RCTs; MD, -0.4 kg; 95%CI, -1.5 to 0.7; I2 = 0%).

CONCLUSION

Reduction of meat and/or dairy appears to reduce protein intake. There is no evidence of a significant impact on anthropometric values or body composition. More long-term intervention studies with defined amounts of meat and dairy are needed to investigate the long-term effects on nutrient intakes and health outcomes.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020207325.

Global trends and research hotspots of EAT-Lancet diet: a bibliometric analysis

The EAT-Lancet diet is a groundbreaking and comprehensive dietary framework that has garnered significant attention in the fields of nutrition, sustainability, and public health. We aimed to conduct a bibliometric study to investigate current status and hotspots in the field of EAT-Lancet diet based on the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database, and the documents of EAT-Lancet diet published from Jan 1, 2019 to Sep 1.2023 were extracted. The bibliometric and visualized analysis were performed by VOSviewer 1.6.16 and WOSCC Online Analysis Platform. In total, 155 documents from 62 journals were included, and 735 authors from 389 institutions and 53 countries/regions contributed to the field of EAT-Lancet diet. The most productive countries/regions, institutions, authors, and journals were the USA, Wageningen University & Research, Johan Rockström, and Nutrients, respectively. The first high-cited document was published in Lancet and authored by Willett et al. in 2019. This is also the first study about EAT-Lancet diet. The article firstly proposed the "EAT-Lancet Diet" emphasizing balanced, plant-based eating to improve human health while addressing environmental concerns. In conclusion, in the field of EAT-Lancet diet, the main research hotspots and frontiers are the adaptation of EAT-Lancet diet, the composition of EAT-Lancet diet, and the benefits of EAT-Lancet diet for human health. The number of research on the EAT-Lancet diet is currently limited. There is a pressing need for further studies to broaden our understanding of the EAT-Lancet diet and its potential to enhance human health.

Maternal dietary patterns and placental outcomes among pregnant women in Los Angeles

INTRODUCTION

Epidemiological studies have linked prenatal maternal diet to fetal growth, but whether diet affects placental outcomes is poorly understood.

METHODS

We collected past month dietary intake from 148 women in mid-pregnancy enrolled at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) antenatal clinics from 2016 to 2019. We employed the food frequency Diet History Questionnaire II and generated the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), the Alternate Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy (AHEI-P), and the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED). We conducted T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in mid-pregnancy (1st during 14-17 and 2nd during 19-24 gestational weeks) to evaluate placental volume (cm3) and we measured placenta weight (g) at delivery. We estimated change and 95 % confidence interval (CI) in placental volume and associations of placenta weight with all dietary index scores and diet items using linear regression models.

RESULTS

Placental volume in mid-pregnancy was associated with an 18.9 cm3 (95 % CI 5.1, 32.8) increase per 100 gestational days in women with a higher HEI-2015 (≥median), with stronger results for placentas of male fetuses. We estimated positive associations between placental volume at the 1st and 2nd MRI and higher intake of vegetables, high-fat fish, dairy, and dietary intake of B vitamins. A higher aMED (≥median) score was associated with a 40.5 g (95 % CI 8.5, 72.5) increase in placenta weight at delivery, which was mainly related to protein intake.

DISCUSSION

Placental growth represented by volume in mid-pregnancy and weight at birth is influenced by the quality and content of the maternal diet.

Long Follow-Up Times Weaken Observational Diet-Cancer Study Outcomes: Evidence from Studies of Meat and Cancer Risk

For years, prospective cohort studies of diet and cancer incidence have reported smaller effects than do retrospective case-control (CC) studies. The differences have been attributed to problems with CC studies, including dietary recall bias, poor matching of cases and controls, and confounding. The hypothesis evaluated here is that long follow-up periods between ascertainment of diet and cancer incidence weaken the findings. Prospective studies of cancer incidence with respect to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration have already shown reduced benefit of higher concentrations for longer follow-up periods. Evaluating that hypothesis for dietary factors involved searching the journal literature for meta-analyses of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence. I used findings from observational studies for bladder, breast, colorectal, and gastric cancers. To evaluate the effect of duration of follow-up time, I used two approaches. First, I plotted the relative risks for CC studies for gastric cancer with respect to consumption of 100 g/day of red meat and for bladder cancer for 50 g/day of processed meat against the interval between the dietary data and cancer incidence. Second, I compared nested CC studies of meat and cancer incidence for five breast cancer studies and one colorectal cancer study. Both approaches yielded an inverse correlation between interval or follow-up time and relative risk. My findings strongly suggest that diet near time of cancer diagnosis is more important than for longer intervals, that results from meta-analyses should be revised when possible with appropriate adjustments for duration of follow-up, and that dietary guidelines be revised accordingly.

Stone diet and dietary change: understanding determinants for dietary change behaviour in patients following urinary stones

BACKGROUND

Dietary habit is one of the most important methods to prevent and treat urinary stones. However, only limited evidence of the experiences of dietary management among urinary stone patients in Malaysia is available. This study aimed to explore participants' current dietary practices after the diagnosis of urinary stones and to identify the factors that facilitate their dietary changes.

METHODS

A qualitative study with purposive sampling was conducted using face-to-face semistructured interviews. A total of 20 participants from a tertiary general hospital in Kuantan, Malaysia, were recruited in this study. Data were analysed using framework analysis.

RESULTS

Two themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme explained the changes in the dietary practice of the participants postdiagnosis. The second theme revealed that the participants' dietary changes were greatly influenced by personal factors and external support from professionals, family and peers.

CONCLUSIONS

Urinary stone patients highlighted the fear of complications, self-determination and knowledge of nutrition as the main drivers of their dietary change postdiagnosis. Emphasising proper nutritional care by assessing and evaluating dietary self-management among patients can facilitate effective self-care in stone prevention management.

Novel plant-based meat alternatives: future opportunities and health considerations

Present food systems threaten population and environmental health. Evidence suggests reduced meat and increased plant-based food consumption would align with climate change and health promotion priorities. Accelerating this transition requires greater understanding of determinants of plant-based food choice. A thriving plant-based food industry has emerged to meet consumer demand and support dietary shift towards plant-based eating. 'Traditional' plant-based diets are low-energy density, nutrient dense, low in saturated fat and purportedly associated with health benefits. However, fast-paced contemporary lifestyles continue to fuel growing demand for meat-mimicking plant-based convenience foods which are typically ultra-processed. Processing can improve product safety and palatability and enable fortification and enrichment. However, deleterious health consequences have been associated with ultra-processing, though there is a paucity of equivocal evidence regarding the health value of novel plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) and their capacity to replicate the nutritional profile of meat-equivalents. Thus, despite the health halo often associated with plant-based eating, there is a strong rationale to improve consumer literacy of PBMAs. Understanding the impact of extensive processing on health effects may help to justify the use of innovative methods designed to maintain health benefits associated with particular foods and ingredients. Furthering knowledge regarding the nutritional value of novel PBMAs will increase consumer awareness and thus support informed choice. Finally, knowledge of factors influencing engagement of target consumer subgroups with such products may facilitate production of desirable, healthier PBMAs. Such evidence-based food manufacturing practice has the potential to positively influence future individual and planetary health.

How the EAT-Lancet Commission on food in the Anthropocene influenced discourse and research on food systems: a systematic review covering the first 2 years post-publication

In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission's report on food in the Anthropocene presented a planetary heath diet to improve health while reducing the environmental effect of food systems globally. We assessed EAT-Lancet's immediate influence on academic research and debate by conducting a systematic review of articles citing the Commission and others published from January, 2019, to April, 2021. The Commission influenced methods, results, or discourse for 192 (7·5%) of 2560 citing articles, stimulating cross-disciplinary research and debate across life sciences (47%), health and medical sciences (42%), and social sciences (11%). Sentiment analysis of 76 critiquing articles indicated that opinions were, on average, more positive than negative. Positive sentiments centred on benefits for informing policy, public health, and raising public awareness. Negative sentiments included insufficient attention to socioeconomic dimensions, feasibility, and environmental effects other than emissions. Empirical articles predominantly evaluated the effects of changed diets or food production on the environment and wellbeing (29%), compared current diets with EAT-Lancet recommendations (12%), or informed future policy and research agendas (20%). Despite limitations in EAT-Lancet's method, scope, and implementation feasibility, the academic community supported these recommendations. A broad suite of research needs was identified focusing on the effects of food processing, socioeconomic and political drivers of diet and health, and optimising consumption or production for environment and health.

Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease from 1990 to 2019 Attributable to Dietary Factors

BACKGROUND

Although dietary factors play a crucial role in the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the specific dietary risk factors vary across regions and require further investigation.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to analyze the burden of CVD due to different dietary factors by sex, age, and sociodemographic index (SDI) for 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019.

METHODS

Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 and analyzed to determine population attributable fractions (PAFs), mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and trends thereof, for CVDs attributable to dietary risk factors from 1990 to 2019. We used a generalized linear model with a Gaussian distribution to calculate the estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) in CVD mortality and DALY rates attributable to dietary risk factors. We also used a comparative risk-assessment framework to estimate CVD mortality and DALYs attributable to dietary risk factors.

RESULTS

Approximately 40% of CVD mortality and DALY rates were attributable to dietary risk factors, with high-sodium intake, low whole grain intake, and low legume intake being the greatest dietary risk factors globally. Moreover, high SDI regions had the highest PAFs for CVD mortality and DALYs associated with high red and processed meat intake, middle SDI regions had the highest PAFs with high-sodium intake, and low SDI regions had the highest PAFs with low fruit and vegetable intake. The highest PAFs for CVD mortality and DALYs were associated with low whole grain intake in 13 and 9 regions, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Reducing sodium intake and increasing whole grain and legume intake should be the top priority worldwide for improving regional diets and thereby decreasing CVD burdens. Other priorities should be set for regions with different SDIs, depending on the predominant dietary risk factors for CVDs in the respective regions.

Meat Consumption, Sustainability and Alternatives: An Overview of Motives and Barriers

Meat and meat products are important sources of protein in the human diet. However, their consumption or excessive consumption has been questioned as this has been related to sustainability and health issues. Due to this, alternatives to conventional meat consumption, such as meat produced more sustainably or meat alternatives, have been considered. The aim of the present work is to gain insight into the meat consumption of different countries, the motives for and barriers to this consumption, as well as into the consumption of more sustainably produced meat with particular focus on organic meat and meat alternatives. Information on meat consumption has been obtained using FAOSTAT data and maps have been constructed using SAS software. Results showed that, in general, albeit with variations between and within countries, there is a tendency to decrease red meat consumption and increase poultry consumption, while for pork consumption the tendency is less clear. Motives and barriers for meat and meat alternative consumption have been reviewed and it is possible to see that these are very variable and that they, in addition to the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of the meat, are also related to consumers' attitudes and beliefs. Thus, it is important to inform consumers in a truthful and reliable way in order to allow them to make well-founded decisions regarding the consumption of these products.

Trends in Beef Intake in the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2018

Evidence-based dietary advice regarding meats (including beef), requires accurate assessment of beef and other red meat intakes across life stages. Beef intake is subject to misclassification due to the use of broad categories such as "red and processed meat". In the current study, intake trends for total beef (i.e., any beef type) and specific beef types (fresh lean, ground, processed) among Americans participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2018 (n = 74,461) were characterized and usual intake was assessed using NHANES 2011-2018 (n = 30,679). The usual intake amounts of beef were compared to those of relevant protein food subgroups modeled in the Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern (HDP) reported in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Total per capita beef consumption declined an average of 12 g (p < 0.0001) for ages 2-18 years and 5.7 g (p = 0.0004) for ages 19-59 years per 2-yr NHANES cycle, over the 18-year timeframe, while remaining unchanged for Americans aged 60+ years. On a per capita basis, Americans aged 2 years and older consumed 42.2 g (1.5 ounces) of total beef per day. Fresh lean beef per capita consumption was 33.4 g (1.2 ounces) per day. Per capita intake was similar across all age groups and below the daily HDP modeled amount of 3.7 ounce equivalents for the "Meats, Poultry, Eggs" (MPE) subgroup, while approximately 75% of beef consumers' intakes of total beef was within HDP modeling. Evidence from intake trends suggests beef is not overconsumed by the majority of Americans but rather within the amounts for MPE and red meat modeled in the HDP of the DGA at the 2000-calorie level.

Environmental and health-related external costs of meat consumption in Italy: estimations and recommendations through life cycle assessment

The literature on the external costs of food consumption is limited. This study aims at advancing in this field by translating the environmental and health-related impacts generated by the life-cycle of meat into external costs via monetization. The main types of meat consumed in Italy are used as a case study. The potential external costs are estimated via attributional life cycle assessment (LCA), using: i) the ReCiPe method for the environmental impact assessment (fourteen impact categories), ii) the population attributional fractions for the health damage from meat ingestion, and iii) the CE Delft environmental prices for monetization. Results show that processed pork and beef generate the highest costs on society, with an external cost of approximately 2€ per 100 g. Fresh pork and poultry follow, with a cost of 1€ and 0.5€ per 100 g, respectively. For comparison, the potential external costs of legumes (i.e., a plant-based alternative to meat) are estimated to be from eight to twenty times lower than meat (around 0.05€ per 100 g of legumes). In 2018, meat consumed in Italy potentially generated a cost on society of 36.6 bn€. The burden arises almost equally from impacts generated before meat ingestion (mainly associated with the emissions arisen from farming), and after the ingestion (due to diseases potentially associated with meat consumption). A sensitivity analysis on the main parameters revealed a large uncertainty on the final yearly cost, ranging from 19 to 93 bn€. Although more research is needed to improve the accuracy and the validity of the models used in the study (e.g., human health impact assessment, monetization) and to include potential external costs currently unaccounted for (e.g., water use, animal welfare, occupational health), results show unequivocal significant costs associated with meat consumption. We thus advocate for policies aimed at reducing these costs and allocating them properly.

Development of meat analogs: Focus on the current status and challenges of regulatory legislation

Population growth and the rising enthusiasm for meat consumption in developing countries have increased the global demand for animal protein. The limited increase in traditional meat production, which results in high resource consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and zoonotic diseases, has affected the sustainable supply of meat protein. The technological development and commercialization of meat analogs derived from plant and microbial proteins provide a strategy for solving the abovementioned problems. However, before these innovative foods are marketed, they should comply with regulations and standards to ensure food safety and consumer rights. This review briefly summarizes the global development status and challenges of plant- and fungi-based meat analog products. It focuses on the current status, characteristics, and disputes in the regulations and standards worldwide for plant- and fungi-based meat analogs and proposes suggestions for perfecting the regulatory system from the perspective of ensuring safety and supporting innovation. Although plant- and fungi-based meat analogs have had a history of safe usage as foods for a certain period around the world, the nomenclature and product standards are uncertain, which affects product innovation and global sales. Regulatory authorities should promptly formulate and revise regulations or standards to clarify the naming of meat analogs and product standards, especially the use of animal-derived ingredients and limits of nutrients (e.g., protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals) to continuously introduce start-up products to the market.

Fresh Beef and Lamb Consumption in Relation to Nutrient Intakes and Markers of Nutrition and Health Status among the Population Aged 5-90 Years in Ireland

The dietary role of meat is under scrutiny for health and environmental reasons, yet a growing body of evidence proposes that advice to limit red meat consumption is unnecessarily restrictive. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of 'fresh beef and lamb' in the diet of the population (5-90 years) in Ireland and its association with markers of nutrition and health status. Analyses are based on data from three nationally representative dietary surveys in the Republic of Ireland. Dietary intake data were estimated using food records, and nutrient intakes were estimated based on UK and Irish food composition tables. Biochemical samples were collected and analysed using standard procedures. 'Fresh beef and lamb' (defined as beef/lamb that had not undergone any preserving process other than chilling/freezing/quick-freezing) was consumed by 68-84% of the population and intakes ranged from 19 to 43 g/d across age groups. It made important contributions to intakes of protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamins D, B12, niacin, iron and zinc while also contributing relatively small proportions of total fat, saturated fat and salt. Higher consumption of 'fresh beef and lamb' was associated with higher intakes of protein, niacin, vitamins B6, B12, zinc and potassium (but also total fat) and lower intakes of carbohydrate and total sugars (but also dietary fibre). In adults, older adults and WCBA, higher consumption of 'fresh beef and lamb' was not associated with increased risk factors of cardio-metabolic diseases nor was it associated with better or poorer nutritional status for vitamins D, B12 or iron. This study adds to the evidence base on the contribution of 'fresh beef and lamb' in the diet and may be useful to policymakers updating guidance for healthy diets from sustainable food systems.

Healthy Eating Policy: Racial Liberalism, Global Connections and Contested Science

The challenges to designing and implementing ethically and politically meaningful eating policies are many and complex. This article provides a brief overview of Anne Barnhill and Matteo Bonotti's Healthy Eating Policy and Political Philosophy: A Public Reason Approach while also critically engaging with the place of racial justice, global interconnectedness, and debates over science in thinking about ethics and politics of public health nutrition and policy. I do not aim to burden Barnhill and Bonotti with the responsibility to fully address these issues, but considering the interconnection of these issues and the ever pressing effects of climate change on local and global food systems, we collectively need to turn to these difficult and pressing questions about what a just food system looks like, what concerns are centred, and who is left out. I group these engagements with Barnhill and Bonotti under three headings: racial liberalism, global food system, and contested nutrition science. I conclude with some remarks about locality.

Front-of-pack labels: "Directive" versus "informative" approaches

Front-of-pack labels (FOPLs) aim at communicating to consumers the health value of food items in support of public health policies. Two main types can be discerned: directive and semidirective FOPLs using color schemes (e.g., Nutri-Score) and informative FOPLs (e.g., Nutrinform Battery). Directive approaches tend to show a "wear-out effect" and, additionally, they tend to have various underlying conceptual problems. Usually, their nutritional scores are calculated using changing, arbitrary algorithms and involve a reductionist set of parameters of debatable validity. Thus, they overstate the effects of selected nutritional factors, such as saturated fat and energy, while overlooking the food matrix and the more holistic aspects of nourishment. Moreover, they do not reflect the portion that is consumed, ignore the preparation steps at home, and fail to serve as a useful basis for composing a healthy diet. Also, so long as the nutritional formulations match the algorithmic standards, they tend to allow ultra-processed products. Thus, this might confuse and mislead consumers. Overconfidence in green-colored labels could even result in unbalanced dietary choices, whereas avoidance of red products may eliminate certain foods from the diet that are rich in essential nutrients (e.g., cheese), leading to opposite results than aimed for. The latter is particularly relevant to vulnerable populations, such as the young, pregnant women, and older adults, or for individuals with specific needs. Taken together, directive FOPLs such as Nutri-Score contradict the declared intent of the European Commission to empower consumers to undertake healthy and balanced diets based on easily accessible and robust information. Although informative systems usually also keep the focus on a few selected nutritional parameters, they have are less paternalizing and obviate the need to classify foods as healthy or unhealthy. They also focus attention on the individual portions that are consumed (even if the definition of portion size remains contentious). Given the importance of dietary patterns, rather than individual foods or nutrients, directiveFOPLs of the Nutri-Score type represent a regretful case of nutritionism. Finally, attempts to associate the adoption of a FOPL with an improvement in the health status are few and mainly applied in virtual settings; none of which are longitudinal, nor have they been able to identify a causal link.

The whole food beef matrix is more than the sum of its parts

Foods are not simply a delivery vehicle for nutrients; they consist of a matrix in which nutrients and non-nutrient compounds are presented that induce physiologic effects different from isolated nutrients. Dietary guidance is often based on effects of single nutrients that are considered unhealthy, such as saturated fat in beef. The purpose of this paper is to propose a working definition of the whole food beef matrix whose consumption has health effects distinct from those of isolated nutrients. The beef matrix can be defined as: the collective nutritive and non-nutritive components of the beef food structure and their unique chemical and physical interactions that may be important for human health which are distinguishable from those of the single components in isolation. Background information supporting this approach is summarized on multiple components provided by beef, temporal changes in beef consumption, dietary guidance that restricts beef, and how the background diet determines healthfulness rather than a single food. Examples of research are provided on other whole foods that differ from their constitutive nutrients and lay the groundwork for studies of beef as part of a healthy dietary pattern.

Red meat consumption and risk for dyslipidaemia and inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

The study (PROSPERO: CRD42021240905) aims to reveal the relationships among red meat, serum lipids and inflammatory biomarkers.

Methods and results

PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane databases were explored through December 2021 to identify 574 studies about red meat and serum lipids markers including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), C-reactive protein (CRP) or hypersensitive-CRP (hs-CRP). Finally, 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1001 people were included, red meat and serum lipid markers and their relevant information was extracted. The pooled standard mean difference (SMD) was obtained by applying a random-effects model, and subgroup analyses and meta-regression were employed to explain the heterogeneity. Compared with white meat or grain diets, the gross results showed that the consumption of red meat increased serum lipid concentrations like TG (0.29 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.14, 0.44,P<0.001), but did not significantly influence the TC (0.13 mmol/L, 95% CI −0.07, 0.33, P = 0.21), LDL-C (0.11 mmol/L, 95% CI −0.23, 0.45, P = 0.53), HDL-C (−0.07 mmol/L, 95% CI −0.31, 0.17, P = 0.57),CRP or hs-CRP (0.13 mmol/L, 95% CI −0.10, 0.37,P = 0.273).

Conclusion

Our study provided evidence to the fact that red meat consumption affected serum lipids levels like TG, but almost had no effect on TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and CRP or hs-CRP. Such diets with red meat should be taken seriously to avoid the problem of high lipid profiles.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO], identifier [CRD42021240905].

Life cycle assessment of animal-based foods and plant-based protein-rich alternatives: a socio-economic perspective

BACKGROUND

Extensive research shows that replacing animal protein with plant-based protein in the diet would strongly alleviate the environmental impact of the food system. However, much less attention has been given to the socio-economic considerations of dietary transitions. This study analyses the socio-economic performance of innovative legume-based food prototypes, developed in the Protein2Food research project, and conventional animal-based products (chicken meat and dairy milk). We implement a social life cycle assessment (sLCA) to quantify and compare their potential socio-economic impacts along the entire life cycle.

RESULTS

Findings from this analysis show that legume-based prototypes and their respective animal-based counterparts have, overall, a comparable socio-economic performance. Looking at the disaggregated life cycle stages, socio-economic hotspots (points of most negative impacts) were mainly identified at the production stage in legume-based products. Farm-level net margin and profitability are low when compared with their animal equivalents. However, at the processing stage, there are socio-economic gains for plant-based products regarding lower unemployment rates. Finally, at the consumption stage, there are mixed results. Plant-based products show worse protein affordability but better nutritional contents (lower saturated fat and cholesterol) than their animal counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

To improve socio-economic performance of legume-based foods, greater emphasis should be placed upon developing improved processing technologies and supply chains. This would broaden the supply of sustainable protein-rich food options and make these products more economically attractive. The research illustrates that policies should be targeted to the different stages of the food value chain to optimize the development of innovative plant-based foods. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Exploring agricultural waste biomass for energy, food and feed production and pollution mitigation: A review

Globally agricultural production system generates a huge amount of solid waste. Improper agri-waste management causes environmental pollution which resulted in economic losses and human health-related problems. Hence, there is an urgent need to design and develop eco-friendly, cost-effective, and socially acceptable agri-waste management technologies. Agri-waste has high energy conversion efficiency as compared to fossil fuel-based energy generation materials. Agri-waste can potentially be exploited for the production of second-generation biofuels. However, composted agri-waste can be an alternative to energy-intensive chemical fertilizers in organic production systems. Furthermore, value-added agri-waste can be a potential feedstock for livestock and industrial products. But comprehensive information concerning agri-waste management is lacking in the literature. Therefore, the present study reviewed the latest advancements in efficient agri-waste management technologies. This latest review will help the researchers and policy planners to formulate environmentally robust residue management practices for achieving a green economy in the agricultural production sector.

A systematic review of the definitions and interpretations in scientific literature of 'less but better' meat in high-income settings

'Less but better' is a pragmatic approach to tackling the sustainability challenges of meat consumption and production. Definitions of 'less' and 'better' lack clarity. Here we explore interpretations of these concepts, finding increasing use of 'less but better' in the literature from Western, high-income settings. Despite discrepancies among interpretations of 'less' meat, existing quantifications indicate that significant reduction is needed to achieve desirable food system outcomes. Interpretations of 'better' meat incorporate the delivery of environmental sustainability, improved animal welfare and better health or nutrition, but lack clear principles and omit many sustainability themes. Practices and outcomes are seldom linked, and diverging narratives on interactions between 'less' and 'better' exist. A shared vision of livestock systems with improved sustainability across multiple indicators is needed to establish principles for 'less but better' in order for decision-making to deliver desired outcomes.

Animal board invited review: Animal source foods in healthy, sustainable, and ethical diets - An argument against drastic limitation of livestock in the food system

Animal source foods are evolutionarily appropriate foods for humans. It is therefore remarkable that they are now presented by some as unhealthy, unsustainable, and unethical, particularly in the urban West. The benefits of consuming them are nonetheless substantial, as they offer a wide spectrum of nutrients that are needed for cell and tissue development, function, and survival. They play a role in proper physical and cognitive development of infants, children, and adolescents, and help promote maintenance of physical function with ageing. While high-red meat consumption in the West is associated with several forms of chronic disease, these associations remain uncertain in other cultural contexts or when consumption is part of wholesome diets. Besides health concerns, there is also widespread anxiety about the environmental impacts of animal source foods. Although several production methods are detrimental (intensive cropping for feed, overgrazing, deforestation, water pollution, etc.) and require substantial mitigation, damaging impacts are not intrinsic to animal husbandry. When well-managed, livestock farming contributes to ecosystem management and soil health, while delivering high-quality foodstuffs through the upcycling of resources that are otherwise non-suitable for food production, making use of marginal land and inedible materials (forage, by-products, etc.), integrating livestock and crop farming where possible has the potential to benefit plant food production through enhanced nutrient recycling, while minimising external input needs such as fertilisers and pesticides. Moreover, the impacts on land use, water wastage, and greenhouse gas emissions are highly contextual, and their estimation is often erroneous due to a reductionist use of metrics. Similarly, whether animal husbandry is ethical or not depends on practical specificities, not on the fact that animals are involved. Such discussions also need to factor in that animal husbandry plays an important role in culture, societal well-being, food security, and the provision of livelihoods. We seize this opportunity to argue for less preconceived assumptions about alleged effects of animal source foods on the health of the planet and the humans and animals involved, for less top-down planning based on isolated metrics or (Western) technocratic perspectives, and for more holistic and circumstantial approaches to the food system.

Are recommended dietary patterns equitable?

OBJECTIVE

Dietary recommendations (DR) in the USA may be inadequate at improving diets in racial/ethnic minority communities and may require redesign of the systems driving their development over the long term. Meanwhile, cultural adaptation of evidence-based DR may be an important strategy for mitigating nutrition disparities, but less is known about the adaptability of these recommendations to meet the needs of diverse groups. We examined the content and origin of major DRs - aspects that provide context on their potential universality across populations and evaluated their potential for cultural adaptation.

DESIGN

Case studies of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet (MD), the EAT-Lancet diet (EAT) and the NOVA classification system.

SETTING

United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Racial/ethnic minority populations.

RESULTS

Current DR differ in their origin/evolution but are similar in their reductionist emphasis on physical health. DASH has been successfully adapted for some cultures but may be challenged by the need for intensive resources; MD may be more beneficial if applied as part of a broader set of food procurement/preparation practices than as just diet alone; EAT-Lancet adaptation may not honor existing country-specific practices that are already beneficial to human and environmental health (e.g. traditional/plant-based diets); evidence for cultural adaptation is limited with NOVA, but classification of levels of food processing has potential for widespread application.

CONCLUSIONS

For DR to equitably support diverse populations, they must move beyond a Eurocentric or 'general population' framing, be more inclusive of cultural differences and honour social practices to improve diet and reduce disparities.

Myoglobin diet affected colonic mucus layer and barrier by increasing the abundance of several beneficial gut bacteria

The study aimed to explore the in vitro digestion of myoglobin diet and its relationship with the gut microbiota and intestinal barrier at two feeding time points. In vitro study...

Rabbit meat: valuable nutrition or too-cute-to-eat?

Rabbit meat is a component of traditional diets, often incorporated into iconic dishes of regional cuisine. Its consumption can be traced back to the ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean and beyond, well into the Palaeolithic era. Even though it has been representing considerable nutritional and cultural value for millennia, a decline in consumption is now noticeable. Specific categorial dynamics are at play, related to the various superimposed roles of rabbits as livestock, game, pests, laboratory animals and pets. Their perceived cuteness in particular can lead to emotional responses that are hard to reconcile with the sensitivities of the post-domestic paradigm. Such effects compromise the acceptability of rabbit meat in contemporary Western societies that are typified by problematic human-animal interactions and a disconnect from the food chain. Young and urban populations in particular now seem to have difficulties facing the notion that food production requires the killing of animals. As a result, a traditional food source risks becoming irrelevant despite its high nutritional value and potential for sustainable meat production, due to reasons that are emotive rather than rational.

Rabbit meat: valuable nutrition or too-cute-to-eat?

Rabbit meat is a component of traditional diets, often incorporated into iconic dishes of regional cuisine. Its consumption can be traced back to the ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean and beyond, well into the Palaeolithic era. Even though it has been representing considerable nutritional and cultural value for millennia, a decline in consumption is now noticeable. Specific categorial dynamics are at play, related to the various superimposed roles of rabbits as livestock, game, pests, laboratory animals and pets. Their perceived cuteness in particular can lead to emotional responses that are hard to reconcile with the sensitivities of the post-domestic paradigm. Such effects compromise the acceptability of rabbit meat in contemporary Western societies that are typified by problematic human-animal interactions and a disconnect from the food chain. Young and urban populations in particular now seem to have difficulties facing the notion that food production requires the killing of animals. As a result, a traditional food source risks becoming irrelevant despite its high nutritional value and potential for sustainable meat production, due to reasons that are emotive rather than rational.

A Modern Flexitarian Dietary Intervention Incorporating Web-Based Nutrition Education in Healthy Young Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The trend of flexitarian eating patterns is on the rise, with young adults among the biggest adopters claiming health and environmental reasons to reduce red meat intake. Nutrient-dense meat and animal products are often the lynchpin of these diets, even when consumed only occasionally and in moderate amounts. Red meat provides forms and concentrations of essential proteins, lipids, and micronutrients that are scarce in exclusively vegetarian regimens.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to consider the effects of moderate consumption of lean red meat as part of an otherwise vegetarian balanced diet and its impact on biomarkers of sustained health and well-being.

METHODS

A cohort of healthy, young (20-34 years old, n=80) male and female participants will take part in a 2-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) for a duration of 12 weeks, with a 3-month posttrial follow-up. The trial will commence with a 2-week assessment period followed by allocation to the intervention arms. The intervention will include the consumption of red meat or meat alternatives 3 times per week for 10 weeks. Blood samples of the participants will be collected to measure changes in erythrocyte fatty acid distribution, circulating amino acids, neurotransmitters, markers of mineral status, and inflammatory markers. Questionnaires to assess well-being and mental health will be undertaken every 2 weeks. Body composition, physical function, and blood parameters will be assessed at allocation (t₀), week 5 into the intervention (t₅), and post intervention (t₁₀).

RESULTS

The protocol has been developed using the SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) checklist and the outcomes will be reported in accordance with the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines. The trial was approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Health's Health and Disability Ethics Committees (protocol 20/STH/157). The results of this study will be communicated via publication.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first RCT investigating the overarching health consequences of consuming pasture-fed red meat or no meat as part of a healthy diet.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04869163; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04869163.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/30909.

The role of livestock in sustainable food production systems in Canada

Global drivers such as the growing human population, evolving consumer preferences, globalization, and climate change have put pressure on the agri-food sector to produce more livestock products with less land, feed, and water. Taste, nutritional value, cost, convenience, source, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability of food are criteria upon which purchasing decisions are made. In response, an environmental footprint analysis composed of greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient and water use efficiency, water quality, carbon storage, and biodiversity has been completed for many commodities. However, as livestock production systems occur within complex agro-ecosystems, it is extremely challenging to formulate a single overall sustainability metric. There is no “silver bullet” to solve the environmental concerns of all livestock production systems as they operate under different constraints on different landscapes, with different water and nutrient cycles, and soil types. Furthermore, the lack of scientific evidence regarding the interactions between livestock production, human nutritional adequacy, and the health of our environment makes it difficult for consumers to interpret this information and make informed food choices. This review examines these complex interactions and trade-offs, as well as the potential impacts of changes in consumer dietary choice on environmental sustainability, nutritional adequacy, and land use.

Animal and plant-sourced nutrition: complementary not competitive

Debate on the sustainability of the global food system often compares the environmental, economic and health impacts of plant- and animal-sourced foods. This distinction can mask the considerable variation in impacts across and within these food groups. Moreover, the nutritional benefits of these food groups are insufficiently discussed. In this review, we highlight the nutritional contribution to the current global food system of both plant- and animal-sourced foods and place their impacts on human health in the global context. We highlight how the comparison of the environmental impacts of foods via life cycle analyses can change on the basis of the functional unit used, particularly the use of mass as opposed to nutrient content or nutrient richness. We review the literature on the affordability of nutrient-adequate diets, demonstrating the presence of both plant- and animal-sourced foods in affordable nutritious diets. Finally, we address the potential of alternative food sources that are gaining momentum, to ask where they may fit in a sustainable food system. We conclude that there is a clear place for both plant- and animal-sourced foods in future sustainable food systems, and a requirement for both for sustainable global nutrition; as such, the two groups are complementary and not competitive.

Perspective: Striking a Balance between Planetary and Human Health: Is There a Path Forward?

The global adoption of predominantly plant-based sustainable healthy diets will help reduce the risk of obesity- and malnutrition-related non-communicable diseases while protecting the future health of our planet. This review examines the benefits and limitations of different types of plant-based diets in terms of health and nutrition, affordability and accessibility, cultural (ethical and religious) acceptability, and the environment (i.e., the four pillars underlying sustainable healthy diets). Results suggest that, without professional supervision, traditional plant-based diets (vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian diets) can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies among infants, children/adolescents, adult females, pregnant/lactating women and the elderly. In contrast, flexitarian diets and territorial diversified diets (TDDs, e.g., Mediterranean and New Nordic diets) that include large quantities of plant-sourced foods, low levels of red meat and moderate amounts of poultry, fish, eggs and dairy can meet the energy and nutrition needs of different populations without the need for dietary education or supplementation. Compared to vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian diets, more diverse flexitarian diets and TDDs are associated with reduced volumes of food waste and may be more acceptable and easier to maintain for people who previously followed western diets. Although flexitarian diets and TDDs have a greater impact on the environment than vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian diets, the negative effects are considerably reduced compared to western diets, especially if diets include locally-sourced seasonal foods. Further studies are required to define more precisely optimal sustainable healthy diets for different populations and to ensure that diets are affordable and accessible to people in all countries.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern with low, but not moderate, unprocessed, lean red meat intake reduces fasting serum trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in adults who are overweight or obese

A Mediterranean-style eating pattern (MED-EP) may include moderate red meat intake. However, it is unknown if the pro-atherogenic metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is affected by the amount of red meat consumed with a MED-EP. The results presented are from a secondary, retrospective objective of an investigator-blinded, randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial (two 5-wk interventions separated by a 4-wk washout) to determine if a MED-EP with 200g unprocessed lean red meat/wk (MED-CONTROL) reduces circulating TMAO concentrations compared to a MED-EP with 500g unprocessed lean red meat/wk (MED-RED). Participants were 27 women and 12 men (n=39 total) who were either overweight or obese (BMI: 30.5 ± 0.3 kg/m2 mean ± SEM). Serum samples were obtained following an overnight fast both before (pre) and after (post) each intervention. Fasting serum TMAO, choline, carnitine, and betaine concentrations were measured using a targeted Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed to assess if (a) TMAO and related metabolites differed by intervention, and (b) if changes in TMAO were associated with changes in Framingham 10-year risk score. Serum TMAO was lower post-intervention following MED-CONTROL compared to MED-RED intervention (post-MED-CONTROL 3.1 ± 0.2 µM vs. post-MED-RED 5.0 ± 0.5 µM, p<0.001), and decreased following MED-CONTROL (pre- vs post-MED-CONTROL, p = 0.025). Exploratory analysis using mixed model analysis of covariance identified a positive association between changes in TMAO and changes in HOMA-IR (p = 0.036). These results suggest that lower amounts of red meat intake leads to lower TMAO concentrations in the context of a MED-EP.

Animal board invited review: Animal agriculture and alternative meats - learning from past science communication failures

Sustainability discussions bring in multiple competing goals, and the outcomes are often conflicting depending upon which goal is being given credence. The role of livestock in supporting human well-being is especially contentious in discourses around sustainable diets. There is considerable variation in which environmental metrics are measured when describing sustainable diets, although some estimate of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of different diets based on varying assumptions is commonplace. A market for animal-free and manufactured food items to substitute for animal source food (ASF) has emerged, driven by the high GHG emissions of ASF. Ingredients sourced from plants, and animal cells grown in culture are two approaches employed to produce alternative meats. These can be complemented with ingredients produced using synthetic biology. Alternative meat companies promise to reduce GHG, the land and water used for food production, and reduce or eliminate animal agriculture. Some CEOs have even claimed alternative meats will 'end world hunger'. Rarely do such self-proclamations emanate from scientists, but rather from companies in their efforts to attract venture capital investment and market share. Such declarations are reminiscent of the early days of the biotechnology industry. At that time, special interest groups employed fear-based tactics to effectively turn public opinion against the use of genetic engineering to introduce sustainability traits, like disease resistance and nutrient fortification, into global genetic improvement programs. These same groups have recently turned their sights on the 'unnaturalness' and use of synthetic biology in the production of meat alternatives, leaving agriculturists in a quandary. Much of the rationale behind alternative meats invokes a simplistic narrative, with a primary focus on GHG emissions, ignoring the nutritional attributes and dietary importance of ASF, and livelihoods that are supported by grazing ruminant production systems. Diets with low GHG emissions are often described as sustainable, even though the nutritional, social and economic pillars of sustainability are not considered. Nutritionists, geneticists, and veterinarians have been extremely successful at developing new technologies to reduce the environmental footprint of ASF. Further technological developments are going to be requisite to continuously improve the efficiency of animal source, plant source, and cultured meat production. Perhaps there is an opportunity to collectively communicate how innovations are enabling both alternative- and conventional-meat producers to more sustainably meet future demand. This could counteract the possibility that special interest groups who promulgate misinformation, fear and uncertainty, will hinder the adoption of technological innovations to the ultimate detriment of global food security.

Review: Trends for meat, milk and egg consumption for the next decades and the role played by livestock systems in the global production of proteins

Meeting the food demands of a growing global population within planetary boundaries is a challenge. Sustainably producing animal-sourced foods while supplying sufficient protein to meet the requirements of a healthy diet is a particular challenge. This paper informs the development of pathways to sustainable animal production by examining trends in animal-sourced foods since 2000, including the significance of animal- relative to plant-protein sources. Drawing on three distinct scenarios defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), (i.e. Business As Usual (BAU), a continuation of historical trends of food preferences including initiatives to address Sustainable Development Goal targets; Stratified Societies (SSs), leaving challenges unattended; and Towards Sustainability (TS); a more equitable global society and more sustainable food system due to effective polices), future demand for animal-sourced foods is projected. Analysis is based on FAO Food Balance Sheet data (2000-2017) and projected national protein demand per capita (2012-2050). Analysis is disaggregated to five global regions defined by the World Health Organization. It finds that patterns of past demand for animal-sourced foods vary by food (e.g. red vs white meat) and region. However, the European region consistently has the highest levels of consumption of animal-sourced foods, while the South-East Asian and African regions have the lowest. The ratio of animal to plant-sourced protein varies across regions, ranging from 0.29 in Africa to 1.08 in Europe in 2017. Over time, the ratio is relatively stable or moderately increasing, driven by rising incomes in low- or middle-income countries. Under the future scenarios, all World Health Organization regions show a marked increase in demand for animal-sourced protein across BAU and SS. The TS scenario, however, projects notable declines in consumption across Europe and the Americas when compared to the 2012 BAU baseline, with a decline in milk also in the Western Pacific. In contrast, meat and milk consumption in Africa and South-East Asia is projected to increase, reflecting their far lower starting consumption levels. The analysis and subsequent discussion highlight the importance of having regional-specific strategies to deal with the challenge of sustainable livestock production and consumption, with a requirement to consider the impact of actions in one region on others. Clearly, the challenge is not merely one for science and technology but one based on wider aspects of the food system and its diverse stakeholders.

Critical overview of the use of plant antioxidants in the meat industry: Opportunities, innovative applications and future perspectives

The number of articles devoted to study the effect of "natural antioxidants" on meat systems has remarkably increased in the last 10 years. Yet, a critical review of literature reveals recurrent flaws in regards to the rationale of the application, the experimental design, the characterisation of the plant sources, the discussion of the molecular mechanisms and of the potential benefits. The selection of the appropriate source of these antioxidants and the identification of their bioactive constituents, are essential to understand their mode of action and set effective and safe doses. The methodological approach should also be planned with care as the recorded effects and main conclusions largely depend on the accuracy and specificity of the methods. This article aims to critically review the recent advances in the application of plant antioxidants in meat and meat products and briefly covers current trends of innovative application and future trends.

Enhancing the Nutritional Value of Red Meat through Genetic and Feeding Strategies

Consumption of red meat contributes to the intake of many essential nutrients in the human diet including protein, essential fatty acids, and several vitamins and trace minerals, with high iron content, particularly in meats with high myoglobin content. Demand for red meat continues to increase worldwide, particularly in developing countries where food nutrient density is a concern. Dietary and genetic manipulation of livestock can influence the nutritional value of meat products, providing opportunities to enhance the nutritional value of meat. Studies have demonstrated that changes in livestock nutrition and breeding strategies can alter the nutritional value of red meat. Traditional breeding strategies, such as genetic selection, have influenced multiple carcass and meat quality attributes relevant to the nutritional value of meat including muscle and fat deposition. However, limited studies have combined both genetic and nutritional approaches. Future studies aiming to manipulate the composition of fresh meat should aim to balance potential impacts on product quality and consumer perception. Furthermore, the rapidly emerging fields of phenomics, nutrigenomics, and integrative approaches, such as livestock precision farming and systems biology, may help better understand the opportunities to improve the nutritional value of meat under both experimental and commercial conditions.