Schweiggert-Weisz, U., Etzbach, L., Gola, S., Kulling, S.E., Diekmann, Ch., Egert, S., Daniel, H. (2024) Opinion Piece: New Plant‐Based Food Products Between Technology and Physiology. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2400376.
https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202400376
Short Summary:
The increasing popularity of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives highlights both their potential nutritional and ecological advantages. Key processing steps involve fractionation of plant materials and the use of technologies like extrusion to create meat-like structures or to formulate dairy substitutes. While processing can address issues of digestibility and bioavailability, plant defense compounds (e.g., lectins, phytates, secondary metabolites) still pose challenges by affecting nutrient absorption. This is particularly relevant for regions lacking adequate processing methods. To ensure that plant-based diets meet human nutritional requirements, further well-controlled human studies are needed.