JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Canadian regulations have micro-nutrient requirements for simulated meat and poultry products. These regulations are based on historical concerns of nutritional inadequacy if meat and poultry were replaced by corresponding alternatives. If formulations do not meet these requirements, then fortification is required. However, food systems have evolved since micronutrient requirements for meat and poultry alternatives were ratified in Canada, and in other jurisdictions such as the US, regulations do not require that these foods meet minimum nutrient cutoffs. To date, no study has conducted a simulation-based assessment to determine if compositional requirements for simulated meat and poultry requirements in Canada are fit-for-purpose within current food environments and support better nutrient adequacy at the population level.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to assess the potential effects of displacing conventional meat and poultry in Canadian diets with simulated plant-based meat and poultry alternatives that are fortified according to current Canadian regulations versus corresponding products from the United States formulated without a mandated micronutrient requirements on diet quality and nutrient adequacy.

Methods:

: The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2015 Nutrition will be used to simulate varying levels of dietary substitution of conventional meat and poultry. At 30% and 60% population levels, one or two meat or poultry items per individual will be randomly selected for substitutions with simulated plant-based alternatives that closely resemble the conventional meat or poultry food items in both physical characteristics and nutrient composition. The Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) and the USDA Food Data Central databases were used to create a comprehensive list of meat and poultry alternatives available in Canada and the US, respectively. Nutritional profiles of meat or poultry alternatives for Canadian Models will include macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients with minimum requirements according to Division 14 and 22 of Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations. Twelve dietary scenarios will be modelled using these simulated plant-based meat alternatives. Healthy Eating Food Index (HEFI 2019) scores for each scenario will be compared to assess overall diet quality, changes in macronutrient and micronutrient intakes and to identify potential public health concerns. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) method will be incorporated to estimate usual intake distributions and to assess the prevalence of nutrient inadequacy at the population level.

Results:

Analyses will include a comparison of 12 substitution scenarios against a baseline scenario defined as the actual dietary intake of Canadians and subsequent examination of nutrient intake trends across increasing levels of simulated meat substitution.

Conclusions:

This paper presents a methodologically rigorous modelling framework intended to evaluate how Canadian micronutrient requirements for meat or poultry alternatives affect population level nutritional intake when meat or poultry is substituted with corresponding simulated plant-based alternatives in the Canadian diet. By combining survey weighted national CCHS nutrition data, a multi library reference database of simulated plant-based meat alternatives from the CNF and USDA Food Data Central, NCI usual intake modeling, and composite HEFI 2019 diet quality scoring, this modelling approach will examine the best possible population level projections of simulated meat adoption in the Canadian population and its potential public health implications from policy and practice perspectives. Clinical Trial: N/A