Microbiological safety of plant-based meat alternatives

22 July 2024 | Sabina O’Reilly, Project Manager in Safety and Spoilage Microbiology

According to a study in Science of the Total Environment, the proportion of people in the UK choosing plant-based alternative foods nearly doubled between 2011 and 2019.

Despite various media and trade press sources reporting a stagnation, or even decline in this space, plant-based food consumption is set to increase by 49% between 2024 and 2028 (according to Statista Consumer Market Insights).

With plant-based products here to stay, it is important to highlight some of the food safety considerations for innovations in this space.

Producers of plant-based products need to be mindful of the potential risks associated with their microbiological safety.

Plant-based food production often involves new ingredients or ingredients that wouldn’t normally appear in the traditional animal protein version of the product. As such, producers of plant-based products need to be mindful of the potential risks associated with their microbiological safety.

Microbiological safety of plant-based meat alternatives

Unlike meat, plant protein (such as soybean, pea, wheat, fava bean, rice and mung bean) must be extracted, processed and texturised. This processing of plant-based proteins creates different safety considerations for the final product, compared to considerations for meat products.

The risks around animal protein are well known and there are well-established processes for controlling and mitigating them. The practices for examining the safety of plant-based meat alternatives are currently based on their meat counterparts as there aren’t yet criteria for the plant-based alternatives.

Though plant-based alternatives mimic meat products, their safety risks could be different.

Although plant-based alternatives mimic meat products, their safety risks could be different – as well as the processing differences, there are differences in the natural microflora between meats and their plant-based alternatives. So, a better understanding of the background flora of plant-based products is needed. We know that listeria is still a risk when producing ready-to-eat, plant-based meat alternatives but there is a need for the industry to better understand if there are other existing or emerging risks.

So, more work is needed to determine the relevant risks and appropriate control measures for the different types of plant-based alternatives available and in development.

Our Microbiology Team are conducting research in this area, which is already helping to develop the improved understanding that the industry needs to support producers of plant-based products.

How we can help

We can help you to anticipate and mitigate the challenges and risks associated with developing new products.

Our knowledge and expertise place us at the forefront of global scientific innovation in this sector. No matter what our client challenge may be, we consistently deliver innovative solutions, helping clients to optimise their product to put them in a much better position to conquer their market with safe, successful products.

Our expertise in microbiology, product development, food safety and food allergens all enable us to provide comprehensive support in developing and producing plant-based products.

We can support you in determining the microbiological risks associated with your plant-based products, determining the most appropriate target microorganism for process validation, conducting testing to evaluate shelf-life, and devising a routine monitoring plan of microbiological testing for your product.

About Sabina O'Reilly

Sabina Joined Campden BRI in 2019 as a laboratory technician in Microbiological Analytical Services after completing a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Plymouth.

Sabina is now working in Microbiology Safety and spoilage as a project manager specialising in challenge and shelf-life testing of a wide range of food and drink products.

Sabina is a Research Scientist MRes apprentice with Aston University which involves conducting a multidisciplinary research project focusing on the safety, quality, and functionality of plant-based meat alternatives.