DuPont Nutrition and Health recently conducted an analysis on the health benefits of plant based sources. The review was organised by researchers who are past members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, their colleagues and scientists with DuPont Nutrition and Health.
Evidence suggested that a higher intake of plant-based foods was associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas a higher meat intake increased the risk of cardiometabolic disease, and replacement of small quantities of animal protein with plant protein was associated with a lower risk.
Health Focus International reported that 54 per cent of consumers surveyed globally indicated they were reducing their consumption of animal-based foods and increasing consumption of plant-based foods.
Many foods available in the marketplace are composed of not just a single source of protein, of plant or animal origin, but rather a blend of proteins.
Blending different sources can enable the creation of foods that are advantageous from an amino acid composition or digestibility point of view.
Food scientists have learnt and appreciated that formulating a product with a blend of proteins can lead to a better taste profile.
Consumers’ perception that plant-based foods were healthier than animal-based foods was identified in the study as a key driver of this shift.