Impact of ultra-processed plant foods on human health and the environment (VEGETRANSFORM)

Background and challenges

The supply of ultra-processed plant foods (soy steaks, plant-based drinks) has been growing rapidly in the health food, organic and vegetarian sectors in recent years. These foods are generally classified in groups 3 to 4 of the NOVA classification, which categorises food and drink according to how processed they are. Ultra-processed plant foods are consumed by populations who wish to reduce or eliminate animal products, especially meat, from their diet. However, there is little literature on the profile of these consumers and the environmental and health impact of these products due to their relative newness on the market.

Goals

New research is needed to assess exposure to ultra-processed plant foods at different life stages and their impact on the environment, to better qualify the nature and nutritional quality of the products upstream and downstream, and to quantify their consumption at different life stages by analysing existing databases, and finally to better understand the factors that determine this consumption. To this end, the consortium aims to identify existing databases that can be used to determine the frequency of consumption of ultra-processed plant foods in the general population, the socio-economic and demographic profiles of the consumers of these foods, and the category and composition (ingredients, nutrients) of the ultra-processed plant foods consumed in the majority of countries. The consortium also intends to conduct the most comprehensive review possible of the environmental and health impacts of ultra-processed plant foods to identify knowledge gaps and guide future research projects undertaken by the consortium.

INRAE units involved

• Physiologies des Adaptations Nutritionnelles
• Technologies & méthodes pour les agricultures de demain
• Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation
• Centre de recherche en épidémiologie et statistiques
• Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire
• Unité de nutrition humaine
• Agroécologie
• Microbiologie de l'Alimentation au service de la Santé humaine
• Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages
• Food and Bioproduct Engineering Research Unit
• Sécurité et qualité des produits d'origine végétale

Partners

• Centre de recherche en économie et management
• Centre technique agroalimentaire
• ITERG 
• Institut technique de la filière des huiles et protéines végétales et de la filière chanvre​