Vegan Meat Substitutes Are Often High in Salt and Highly Processed, Warns UN

Despite health concerns, the global body still urges governments to consider providing more support for plant-based alternatives

Plant-based alternative meat products are often highly processed and have too much salt, the UN has said while still urging governments to consider providing more support to the industry.

Vegan substitutes can contribute to significantly reducing the carbon footprint of meat and dairy, especially in richer countries, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said.

Animal products account for between 14.5 and 20 per cent of global emissions, from direct methane emissions, feed, changes in land use and energy-intensive global supply chains.

The UN looked at several different alternatives, including lab-grown meat and fermentation-derived products.

Plant-based products, such as those made from soy or pea protein, are among the most popular alternative meat products, often marketed as sausages or burgers.

But the UN cautioned that these products “currently tend to be highly processed and have high amounts of salt”.

It added that the evidence of health impacts from lab-grown meat or fermentation-based products was also limited.