Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Need Sodium Reduction
While the total impact of the pandemic on consumer eating habits is still to be determined, taste, health and variety will continue to be key trends in the plant-based meat alternatives category.
At a time when consumers are dining at home and turning to comfort foods more frequently, they also remain concerned with their health. For example, protein continues to be a top consumer demand. Data suggests that both lean ground beef and plant-based meat alternatives may contain nearly the same amount of protein (about 19 -20 g protein per 4-ounce serving) though the fat levels vary widely (14 – 23 g fat per 4-ounce serving) favoring the plant-based meat alternatives.1-4
However, plant-based meat alternatives can contain higher levels of sodium than typical cuts of ground beef, with some brands at about 370 mg sodium per 4-ounce serving compared to 75 mg sodium per 4-ounce serving of 80 percent lean raw ground beef contains. 2-4
While the total impact of the pandemic on consumer eating habits is still to be determined, taste, health and variety will continue to be key trends in the plant-based meat alternatives category. 5 Cargill Salt can partner with plant-based meat manufacturers to provide the expertise needed for sodium reduction goals and desired taste profiles, and offer a variety of sodium chloride substitutes including Potassium Pro® Potassium Chloride products.
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/when-it-comes-to-protein-how-much-is-too-much
2. https://www.beyondmeat.com/products/beyond-beef/
3. https://impossiblefoods.com/burger/