Even for the environmentalist world, there is a need for more in-depth reflection behind the catchy marketing of ‘plant-based’ foods.

In recent years, plant-based meat substitutes have gained significant popularity, presenting themselves as a culinary revolution and offering an ethical, healthy, and sustainable alternative to traditional meat. However, crucial questions require deeper reflection on the catchy marketing.

Environmental organisations such as Friends of the Earth Europe have strongly criticised these foods, questioning their environmental sustainability and health benefits. This is not about the importance of a balanced diet, as taught by the Mediterranean Diet. It concerns a range of products that are increasingly being offered on the market, about which people are often not properly informed and which they do not take the time to read the ingredient labels and nutritional information.

To most people, legume soup and an industrial ‘veggie burger’ seem similar from a nutritional point of view. However, the differences can be substantial.

What are plant-based meat substitutes?

Plant-based meat substitutes, also known as ‘plant-based’ foods, are designed to mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of meat using only plant-based ingredients. They are often touted as the ideal choice for those who want to reduce their meat consumption without sacrificing the sensory experience it offers; some even replicate the name, as with “vegetable burgers“. However, a careful analysis of the list of ingredients reveals that the healthy and natural image often associated with these products can be misleading.

In most cases, these foods represent a prime example of ultra-processed products, as they are linked to complex industrial processes that compromise their much-vaunted authenticity. Behind the apparent simplicity of a packaged vegetable burger, a different reality may lurk, characterised by a long list of ingredients, as well as a significant presence of additives, colourings, thickeners and artificial flavours. As a study published in The Lancet explained, “Dietary guidelines that promote plant-based diets should emphasise not only reducing meat, red meat, and foods of animal origin, but also avoiding all ultra-processed foods.“

Furthermore, the production of ultra-processed food requires advanced technological interventions at every stage, making these products increasingly distant from the idea of ‘natural’, with which they are often associated. These foods, therefore, undergo complex production processes, which have repercussions for both their nutritional quality and their environmental impact.

Criticism of Friends of the Earth Europe

Friends of the Earth Europe, the European branch of the world’s largest environmental network Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), comprising 33 national organisations and thousands of local groups, has recently adopted a critical stance towards plant-based meat substitutes. The organisation has paid particular attention to the famous Impossible Burger by Impossible Foods, which is designed to replicate the taste, appearance, and even the “rare” texture of meat, thanks to soy leghemoglobin. This key ingredient contains iron and gives meat its red colour. The Impossible Burger also attempts to reproduce the “meaty” flavour typical of real meat. However, the environmental organisation claims that behind the promises of sustainability, there may be hidden issues relating to food safety, production ethics, and environmental impact.

Food safety issues

According to Friends of the Earth Europe, one of the most controversial aspects of the Impossible Burger concerns its main ingredient, soy leghemoglobin (LegH Prep). This is obtained by inserting soy DNA into genetically modified yeast, which is then fermented to produce the protein. However, the association highlights that LegH Prep has never been adequately tested for human consumption in terms of safety.

The organisation reports that animal studies have highlighted significant risks: rats fed LegH Prep showed changes in weight gain, alterations in blood parameters that may indicate the onset of inflammation or kidney disease and possible signs of anaemia.

Furthermore, the association’s critical analysis reveals that the data submitted for product approval are based on a different yeast strain than the one actually used in final production, casting serious doubt on the validity of the safety assessments.

The environmental impact of veg burgers

Although the Impossible Burger is often promoted as a more sustainable alternative to beef, Friends of the Earth Europe is calling for a more critical reflection on this product’s actual environmental impact. In fact, meat substitutes have a considerable environmental impact when compared to less processed plant-based foods, such as legumes and cereals, which are often overlooked in public debate.

The creation of components like heme requires advanced technologies and intensive industrial production processes, which consume significant amounts of energy and resources, making these foods anything but eco-friendly. As highlighted by Raychel Santo, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, and reported in Friends of the Earth Europe’s critical analysis, simple, natural foods such as peas, lentils, and other legumes are a far more sustainable and nutritionally valuable choice than ultra-processed plant-based substitutes.

Rather than offering a concrete solution for a greener future, products such as ‘veg burgers’ or ‘soy steaks’ risk generating intensive resource consumption, hidden behind a marketing narrative that emphasises alleged environmental benefits that are not supported by concrete data.

What is the EU’s position?

The Impossible Burger is currently under assessment in the European Union, where it requires two approvals: one as a genetically modified food (GMO) and another as a food additive. Although the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has declared that the product poses no significant risk, Friends of the Earth has criticised the approval process, claiming that it is based on incomplete data.

Friends of the Earth Europe’s criticism therefore invites us to reflect on the fact that not all plant-based products are synonymous with sustainability or health and that there is essentially a big difference between a legume soup and a ‘vegetable sausage’. At a time when awareness and transparency are essential for every citizen, it is crucial to look beyond advertising campaigns, carefully analyse the entire life cycle of the products we consume, and demand clearer labelling.