The role of alternative proteins and future foods in sustainable and contextually-adapted flexitarian diets
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Date
2022-06
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Background
Devising contextually adapted and sustainable flexitarian diets that integrate alternative proteins and future foods can support sustainable food systems.
Scope and approach
In this commentary, we critically evaluate the role of alternative proteins and future foods (i.e., microalgae, insects, fungi, cultured meat, and plant-based meat) with respect to tradeoffs between animal- and plant-sourced foods in future flexitarian diets. We focus on four key sustainability dimensions: environmental impacts, nutrition/health, animal welfare, and antibiotic use. We further explore the differentiated role of meat products (e.g., chicken vs. beef), in addition to production practices that simultaneously increase nutrient contents while decreasing environmental impacts. Finally, we illustrate why and how context-specific conditions, namely, environmental, nutritional/health, access, culture, and knowledge boundaries, should be considered when developing these diets.
Key findings and conclusions
The role of alternative proteins in sustainable flexitarian diets is highly variable depending on the food item and production method (e.g., feed substrate, processing technology). Furthermore, environmental tradeoffs exist (e.g., low land use but high energy demand) as well as nutritional gaps including a lack of certainty regarding nutritional equivalency claims from future foods when compared to their contemporary counterparts. Moreover, strong uncertainties regarding nutrient absorption (e.g., bioavailability) and activity in the body exist. Animal welfare and antibiotic use concerns have the potential to be strongly mitigated with the introduction of alternative proteins. Finally, more standardized and robust sustainability assessments are needed. Overall, future foods hold promise to support sustainable and contextually-adapted flexitarian diets, but significant work and understanding are still needed.
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Publication status
published
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Book title
Journal / series
Volume
124
Pages / Article No.
250 - 258
Publisher
Elsevier
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Edition / version
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Software
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Sustainable flexitarian diets; Alternative proteins/ future foods; Nutrition; Environmental impacts; Animal welfare; Antibiotic use
Organisational unit
09571 - Mathys, Alexander / Mathys, Alexander
Notes
Funding
861976 - SUStainable INsect CHain (EC)
172415 - Nutritional combined Environmental Impact Assessment of Swiss Food Consumption and Trade (SNF)
172415 - Nutritional combined Environmental Impact Assessment of Swiss Food Consumption and Trade (SNF)