A brand new examine reveals that meals marketed with protein claims typically mislead customers, as most are excessive in sodium, fats, and sweeteners, posing hidden well being dangers.
Are Meals with Protein Claims Wholesome? A Research of the Spanish Market. Picture Credit score: Erhan Inga / Shutterstock
Scientists at Miguel Hernández College in Spain have carried out a examine to characterize nutrient content material and consider the healthiness of meals with protein claims.
The examine is revealed within the journal Vitamins.
Background
Protein-fortified meals and protein and amino acid dietary supplements have gotten more and more fashionable worldwide as folks sometimes understand these meals as wholesome.
Current survey findings point out a 26% compound annual development charge within the variety of newly launched meals and drinks with protein claims in Europe from 2017 to 2022. In Australia, the expansion charge is 12%.
A world survey carried out in 2022 reveals that roughly 17% of customers ask for high-protein meals though these merchandise are extremely priced. Concerning folks’s notion, research point out that meals with protein claims are typically considered meals with excessive dietary worth which can be good for constructing muscle tissues, staying wholesome, and rising longevity.
Nevertheless, the examine emphasizes that this notion could also be deceptive. A number of scientific studies declare that meals wealthy in protein may comprise different unhealthy elements, comparable to sugar, salt, and saturated fat, and might have a high-calorie content material.
On this examine, scientists have decided the prevalence and dietary high quality of meals with protein claims out there within the Spanish market by analyzing information from the Spanish Meals Database, BADALI.
Essential Observations
The examine analyzed 4325 processed meals of 12 differing types. About 13% of those meals gadgets exhibited protein claims.
The prevalence of meals with protein claims various throughout totally different meals varieties. The very best proportion of protein claims was noticed amongst plant-based meat analogs (68.2%), adopted by bars (35.3%) and yogurt or dairy dessert substitutes (21.3%). No protein declare was noticed in biscuits and fruit drinks.
Roughly 60.4% of the analyzed meals gadgets had fortified proteins. The very best charge of protein fortification was noticed in bars and plant-based meat analogs, the place almost 90% had been fortified. Conversely, milk substitutes and yogurt or dairy dessert substitutes confirmed the bottom fortification charges (7.9% and three.3%, respectively).
Plant proteins had been extra often added to fortified gadgets (41.7%) than animal proteins (25.9%). Probably the most generally added plant protein was gluten, adopted by milk and soy proteins.
Protein Content material
Meals with protein claims, notably fortified meals, had considerably larger protein content material. Protein content material in milk substitutes and bars with protein claims was 4 instances larger than that in these with out, whereas, in plant-based meat analogs with protein claims, protein content material was greater than twice as excessive as these with out claims.
Nutrient Composition
Along with protein content material, important variations in carbohydrates, sugar, and whole and saturated fats content material had been noticed between meals with and with out protein claims.
Bars with protein claims had decrease carbohydrate content material and 82% much less sugar than these with out protein claims however contained 48% extra saturated fats. Milk and dairy drinks contained a decrease quantity of whole and saturated fats, and yogurts and fermented milk contained a decrease quantity of carbohydrates and sugar.
Milk substitutes with protein claims had decrease sugar and carbohydrates however contained extra whole fats in comparison with these with out protein claims.
Plant-based meat analogs with protein claims had decrease carbohydrate content material than these with out.
Dietary High quality
The examine used a nutrient profile mannequin developed by the Pan American Well being Group and the World Well being Group to judge the dietary high quality of meals with protein claims.
The findings revealed that about 90.8% of meals with protein claims are categorised as “much less wholesome,” and greater than 50% have excessive fats and sodium content material. That is regarding as a result of extreme sodium consumption is a number one threat issue for heart problems.
One out of 4 gadgets had excessive free sugar and saturated fats content material, and one out of 5 gadgets had sweeteners.
In comparison with meals with no protein declare, meals with a protein declare introduced 17% extra “much less wholesome” gadgets. The proportions of meals with excessive quantities of fats, sodium, or sweeteners had been additionally larger amongst meals gadgets with protein claims. Nevertheless, the proportions of meals with excessive quantities of free sugar or saturated fats had been decrease amongst meals gadgets with protein claims.
Research Significance
The examine finds that about one in seven meals within the Spanish market carries protein claims, and roughly 60% of those meals gadgets have fortified proteins primarily from plant sources.
The dietary high quality of meals with protein claims is considerably worse than these with out such claims. This highlights the necessity for customers to rigorously consider the vitamin labels on these meals, notably as protein claims can create a deceptive well being halo.
These findings recommend that meals with protein claims perceived as more healthy by the final inhabitants are sometimes excessive in crucial vitamins comparable to sodium, fats, and sweeteners, making them much less nutritious than meals with out protein claims. Common consumption of such meals can contribute to adversarial well being outcomes, together with weight problems and cardiovascular illnesses.
The examine findings are notably essential as a result of customers are sometimes unaware of the well being dangers and as an alternative understand meals with protein claims as wholesome. Due to this fact, the authors advise that the presence of protein claims on packaging ought to immediate customers to rigorously examine the vitamin declaration and ingredient listing to make actually wholesome selections.