Oral Presentation 49th Nutrition Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Australian plant-based meat and dairy alternatives: an audit of fortification and extent of processing (130031)

Laura Marchese 1 , Gilly Hendrie 2 , Sarah McNaughton 3 4 , Paige Brooker 2 , Emily Denniss 5 , Kacie Dickinson 6 , Katherine Livingstone 1
  1. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  2. Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Adelaide, SA, Australia
  3. Health and Well-Being Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  4. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  5. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  6. Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

The shift toward more plant-based foods presents an opportunity to improve both health and sustainability. However, fortification of key nutrients such as calcium or vitamin B12 is not mandatory in Australia and raises concerns about the nutritional adequacy of plant-based alternatives. Additionally, many plant-based alternatives are classified as ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and may inadvertently contribute to poorer diet quality despite being perceived as healthier choices. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the fortification and extent of processing of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives from Australian supermarkets. Data on plant-based alternatives were collected from eight Melbourne supermarkets in 2022 using the CSIRO FoodTrackTM methodology. Products were included if they were meat or dairy substitutes outlined in the Australian Food Composition Database, or, plant-based alternatives for core meat and dairy in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Product images were taken, and data was transcribed. Fortificants were recorded from the product ingredients list and nutrition information panel if listed on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand permitted forms of vitamins and minerals list (1). Products were classified as UPF if their ingredients list contained a marker of ultra-processing from the Australian food supply (2). In total, 455 meat alternatives (n = 219 legumes/pulses; n = 15 falafel; n = 183 novel meat alternatives; n = 6 tempeh; n = 32 tofu) and 249 dairy alternatives (n = 52 cheese; n = 34 flavoured milk; n = 123 milk; n = 40 yoghurt) were identified. Ninety-nine (22%) meat alternatives and 136 (55%) dairy alternatives were fortified. Meat alternatives were most commonly fortified with iron (n = 51, 11%), vitamin B12 (n = 41, 9%), and zinc (n = 28, 6%), while dairy alternatives were most mostly fortified with calcium (n = 127, 51%), vitamin B12 (n = 35, 14%), and riboflavin (n = 32, 13%). Over 218 (48%) of meat alternatives, were classified as UPF. Of these, novel meat alternatives (n = 167, 91%), and tempeh (n = 3, 50%) categories had a higher proportion of foods classified as UPF, while legumes/pulses (n = 34, 16%), falafel (n = 3, 20%), and tofu n = 11 (34%) had a lower proportion. Over three quarters (n = 188, 76%) of dairy alternatives were classified as UPF, including the majority of flavoured milks (n = 30, 88%), cheeses (n = 45, 87%), yoghurts (n = 32, 80%) and unflavoured milks (n = 81, 66%). This study highlights the low rates and variability of fortification and large proportion of UPFs across plant-based alternatives. These findings make it difficult for consumers to choose healthy plant-based alternatives for animal-sourced foods when supermarket shopping. Outcomes from this study also have implications for future policies to improve the healthiness of plant-based foods.

  1. 1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2016) Schedule 17 Vitamins and minerals
  2. 2. Dickie S, Woods J, Machado P et al. (2023) Front Nutr 10, 1071356