2026/01/01 by Eduardo Leonarski, Raquel Borin, Gabriela Bucaneve Guedes +3 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Medicine · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact #Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling #Animal Nutrition and Physiology
paper · doi:10.1590/1981-6723.074025
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/03/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Abstract Although meat is the primary source of animal protein in the human diet, concerns about its environmental impact and the growing global population have led to the development of alternative proteins and meat analogs. As the demand for plant-based products rises, clear guidelines on nutrient content, such as protein and fat, are needed to ensure compliance. Thus, this study aimed to assess the accuracy of nutritional labeling for protein and lipid content in meat-derived patties and plant-based meat analogs. 21 processed products were examined: six meat-derived patties and 15 plant-based alternatives (plant-based patties; other plant-based products), available in groceries in western Paraná state, Brazil. Around 80% of plant-based analogous products had legumes as their primary protein source, mainly soybean, followed by pea and chickpea. Two meat-derived patties showed protein content below the Brazilian regulation limit (<15%), while all meat-derived patties met the lipid regulation (<25%). Laboratory analysis revealed minimal discrepancies between actual and labeled protein and lipid contents, except for chicken and beef patties A, which showed a >20% variation in lipid content. While protein and lipid contents in plant-based patties were lower than in meat-derived patties, no regulations currently define the minimum or maximum contents of these compounds in plant-based products. Additionally, 66.7% of plant-based patties showed more than 20% variation from label claims. In addition, other plant-based analog products had similar protein content to plant-based patties, and variation in lipid content reached over 20% compared to the label. Despite regulatory gaps, accurate labeling remains key to ensuring nutritional safety and meeting consumer expectations. In practice, producers should often batch-test products, set internal guardrails, and tighten supplier controls to improve label accuracy, while regulators establish composition standards and tolerance limits for plant-based meat analogs.