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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Life cycle assessment of animal-based foods and plant-based protein-rich alternatives: an environmental perspective
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 102, No. 12, Year 2022
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Description
BACKGROUND: In the European Union proteins for food are largely animal based, consisting of meat and dairy products. Almost all soy but also a larger part of pulses and cereals consumed in the European Union are used for animal nutrition. While livestock is an important source of proteins, it also creates substantial environmental impacts. The food and feed system is closely linked to the planetary and health boundaries and a transformation to healthy diets will require substantial dietary shifts towards healthy foods, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes. RESULTS: Extrudated vegetable meat alternatives consisting of protein combined with amaranth or buckwheat flour and a vegetable milk alternative made from lentil proteins were shown to have the potential to generate significantly less environmental impact than their animal-based counterparts in most of the environmental indicators examined, taking into account both functional units (mass and protein content). The underlying field-to-fork life cycle assessment models include several variants for both plant and animal foods. The optimized plant-based foods show a clear potential for improvement in the environmental footprints. CONCLUSIONS: Development of higher processed and therefore higher performing products is crucial for appealing to potential user groups beyond dedicated vegetarians and vegans and ultimately achieving market expansion. The Protein2Food project showed that prototypes made from European-grown legumes and pseudocereals are a valuable source for high-quality protein foods, and despite being substantially processed they could help reduce the environmental impact of food consumption. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Authors & Co-Authors
Detzel, Andreas
Germany, Heidelberg
Institut Für Energie- Und Umweltforschung Heidelberg Gmbh
Krüger, Martina
Germany, Heidelberg
Institut Für Energie- Und Umweltforschung Heidelberg Gmbh
Busch, Mirjam
Germany, Heidelberg
Institut Für Energie- Und Umweltforschung Heidelberg Gmbh
Blanco-Gutiérrez, Irene
Spain, Madrid
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Varela, Consuelo
Spain, Madrid
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Manners, Rhys
Rwanda, Kigali
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Iita
Bez, Jürgen
Germany, Freising
Fraunhofer-institut Für Verfahrenstechnik Und Verpackung
Zannini, Emanuele
Ireland, Cork
University College Cork
Statistics
Citations: 58
Authors: 8
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1002/jsfa.11417
ISSN:
00225142
Research Areas
Food Security