Scientific Study Reveals Which Meat Alternatives Offer the Most Health & Environmental Benefits – vegconomist

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has ranked different types of meat alternatives to determine which is best from the perspective of health, the environment, and cost.

Titled A multicriteria analysis of meat and milk alternatives from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives, the study was led by Dr Marco Springmann from the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford and the Institute for Global Health at University College London.

The findings indicate that legumes such as beans and peas are the best meat alternative; if chosen over meat and dairy, they would reportedly reduce nutritional imbalances in high-income countries by half and mortality from diet-related diseases by a tenth. Environmental impacts (such as emissions, land use, and water use) would be decreased by more than half, and costs by over a third.

Tempeh is a close runner-up since it is minimally processed, relatively affordable, and retains many of the nutritional properties of soybeans. More processed meat and dairy alternatives, such as veggie burgers and plant-based milks, come next; they are said to have substantial health and environmental benefits compared to conventional meat and dairy products, but do not score as well as unprocessed legumes. They are also more expensive, costing the consumer a tenth more than current diets.

“Multiple benefits”

These findings are supported by other recent research; survey results published last week by ProVeg International indicate that plant-based meat alternatives have a better nutritional profile than animal meat, while milk alternatives are nutritionally similar to cow’s milk. A report from September found that legumes are the healthiest and most sustainable meat alternative, but noted that more processed plant-based meat alternatives still generate fewer emissions than meat while containing less saturated fat and more fibre.

“Reducing meat and dairy in high-income countries is essential for limiting climate change, biodiversity loss, and improving health,” said Dr Springmann. “Our study shows that a range of foods and food products exist that would have multiple benefits when replacing meat and dairy in current diets.”

“Alternatives are available & affordable”

According to the new study, cultivated meat is the lowest-ranking meat alternative; its emissions are sometimes as high as those of beef burgers when current technologies are used, and costs can be significantly higher than traditional meat. Furthermore, the health impacts of cultivated beef do not appear to be significantly better than those of conventional beef. The study acknowledges that costs and emissions could be reduced with improved production processes, but finds that this would require significant investments and technological advances.

However, a study from September found that cultivated meat could reduce the social costs of conventional meat production by 2 to 3.5 times, benefiting the environment, workers, and animals. Furthermore, some companies in the sector already claim to be close to price parity with animal meat. Consequently, it appears that more research may be needed to determine the benefits and drawbacks of cultivated meat.

“Our findings suggest that suitable alternatives to meat and milk exist and are available and affordable without necessarily requiring new technologies or product development,” said Dr Springmann. “What is required, however, are prudent public policies that support all citizens in eating healthy and sustainable meals.”

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