German scientists assessed the safety of plant-based meat products

Published Mar 7, 2024

Tridge summary

A German study has raised concerns about the safety of plant-based meat substitutes due to potential bacterial contamination. The research, which examined 10 raw plant-based ground meat products, found significant variations in total bacterial counts. While the median number of harmful pathogens was generally low, some samples had high levels of Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Although no Listeria monocytogenes were found, other Listeria species were detected, suggesting that these products could pose a safety risk if contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.

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Original content

Increased consumption of plant-based products while reducing meat consumption is a continuing consumer trend based on health, ethical and ecological motivations. There is a particularly growing tendency to consume vegan and vegetarian meat analogues, which resemble meat products in taste and consistency. In Europe, meat consumption averages 69 kg/capita/year. In Germany, meat consumption per capita decreased from > 60 kg/year before 2019 to 52 kg/year in 2022. At the same time, sales of vegan and vegetarian meat analogues reached 458.2 million euros in 2021, an increase of 62, 2% in 2019–2021. Meat analogues are produced from plant protein raw materials, currently dominated by products based on soy, wheat and peas. Proteins are extracted from plants in the form of isolated protein, protein concentrate or protein texture. Plant-based protein ingredients for the production of meat analogues include flours (10–20% protein), concentrates (55–60% protein), isolates (>80% protein), and ...

Source: Foodfakty