Cutting back on meat consumption is something more and more Norwegians are doing.
Speaking of vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians (they like a little meat, but don’t cut it completely) has risen to 27 per cent in this country, one shows recent report from Orkla’s reliability barometer.
And in Norwegian grocery stores, the selection of plant-based meat replacement products is getting bigger and bigger.
BIG SALE: In the freezer at Rema 1000 you will find many different meat replacement products, including from this brand called “Like Meat”. From 2020, the chain has almost doubled its range of vegetarian products, TV 2 is informed. Photo: Elias Engevik/TV 2
For reasons of competition, Rema 1000 will not release sales figures for these products, but says that they have seen a large increase in sales of such products in recent years.
– We sell much more vegetarian now, compared to 2019, says communications advisor at Rema 1000, Celine Sjøberg.
But to those of you who are thinking of replacing the meat dough in the Friday taco with vegetarian stuffing because you think it is healthy for youSwedish researchers have bad news.
It was forskning.no who first mentioned the study.
Difficult to take up nutrition
The product in question is often made from soya, pea or halibut protein. They have been exposed to high temperature and a lot of pressure to get a more meaty consistency.
They contain phytate: an anti-nutrient that prevents the body from absorbing important minerals such as iron and zinc.
MEAT DOUGH OR SOY FARSE?: Such processed products may not be particularly nutritious for us, the research from Sweden shows. But the professionals conclude that more research is needed in the field. Photo: Elias Engevik/TV 2
The researchers in the study examined 44 different meat replacement products on the Swedish market. Several of these are the same products we can find in Norwegian grocery chains.
The results of the study show that, as one of these products, they will absorb extremely little iron and zinc from food.
Professor of clinical nutrition, Jutta Dierkes, believes the Swedish study is important, because it shows that even if the content of iron and zinc in vegetarian products is high, bioavailabilityi.e. the fact that we are able to benefit from the industry, bad.
– Seen from a nutritional perspective, it will be better for the absorption of iron and zinc to eat normal meat, instead of such vegetarian products, says Dierkes.
IMPORTANT STUDY: The professor says that the Swedish study is important. Photo: Geir J. Huneide / TV2
At the same time, it is basically more difficult to absorb iron and zinc from plants than from meat, she explains.
Facts about the study
- The study “Nutritional Composition and Estimated Iron and Zinc bioavailability of meat substitutes available on the Swedish market” was published on 21 September 2022.
- The conclusion was that processed meat replacement products have high levels of the anti-nutrient phytate, which means that you absorb extremely little iron and zinc from these products.
- The exception was tempeh, which is fermented soybeans, as well as a mushroom-based product, but more research is needed on the latter.
Dierkes believes it can be problematic for those who have decided to cut their meat intake without knowing what to replace it with in order to get enough iron and zinc.
– If you only rely on such products to replace meat, you could have problems in the long run.
She is supported by Susann Stave in Barnematbyen.
– If you complain that these foods should be good sources of iron, you are wrong.
Stave believes that many people associate plant-based food with healthy food, but that some of this food is ultra-processed and of poor quality.
CRITICAL: Susann Stave has a master’s degree in social nutrition and works on a daily basis in Barnematbyen. Photo: Private
“Healthy washing”
– I would dare to say that many of these products are both healthy and green washed, says Stave.
By that she means that the packaging has images and text that make the products seem better than they are.
Studies have shown that iron deficiency not is particularly widespread among vegetarians and vegans, but Stave points out that in stages of life it is particularly important to get enough iron.
– This applies to children and fertile women. The latter has an increased risk of iron deficiency with a vegan diet.
The fact that some of these products give the impression that they contain a lot of iron seems to be misleading.
– That’s true in theory, but it doesn’t help with a high iron content when you can’t make use of it.
– Resource writing
One of the major producers in the Nordics is Hälsans kök, under Nestlé.
Communications manager Celin Huseby says there are processes that can make it easier to absorb, for example, iron from beans and grains.
– But they are resource-intensive and can affect the taste and texture of the product. Therefore, we do not use them in our production today.
We simply know too little
Linda Granlund in the Directorate of Health says that it is difficult to map the health effects of individual products.
– When it comes to meat alternatives, we must therefore rely on the assessments in the report from the National Council for Nutrition which came in 2021, she says.
In the the report if it is established that we simply know little about the health effects of plant-based burgers, sausages and the like.
– Such products often contain a lot of starch, fat and salt, with little pure raw materials. Some of them also have a high content of saturated fatty acids, such as coconut fat, says Granlund.
TOO LITTLE RESEARCHED: The health effects of plant-based meat alternatives have been too little investigated to be able to say whether they provide better health, says Granlund. Photo: Directorate of Health
– But at the same time, meat, which these products are designed to replace, also often contains a lot of saturated fat and salt.
– Are you worried about people replacing meat with this type of food?
– As with all food, you have to look at the total nutritional content of your diet, and read the packaging if you are in doubt.
She says the most important thing is to eat a varied diet.
– You can easily make your own meat replacement product from beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds which have a high content of protein, among other things, says Granlund.
