Therefore, NCL has translated the consensus from the expert panel into a blueprint for FDA and the food industry. However, the need to articulate the consumer perspective on labeling PBMAs shouldn’t wait. In the near future, NCL will issue a full report of the findings of the expert panel and the implications for consumer education efforts and public policy. Comprising regulatory specialists, market researchers, consumer advocates and food industry leaders, the panel also addressed how some key principles laid out in FDA’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy – a common nomenclature, accurate naming and labeling, and elements that assure honesty and fair dealing - can be applied to improve consumer understanding, perception, and decision-making of PBMA products. To provide the consumer perspective, especially regarding decisions about plant-based meat alternatives, in November 2021 NCL and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) convened a panel of experts to assess consumers’ needs for accurate naming, labeling and claims on the package of PBMAs. Unless the information needs of consumers are clearly defined, FDA’s goal of labeling for transparency and clarity will not be realized. However, the National Consumers League contends that the consumer’s voice must be articulated and heard. In response, the agency has received thousands of comments from industry groups, manufacturers, academic institutions and professional societies offering their viewpoints. In developing its draft labeling guidance, FDA has sought information on a range of issues related to labeling, including whether consumers understand terms like “milk” when used in the name of plant-based alternatives and are aware of the nutritional differences between traditional meat and dairy products and their plant-based substitutes. The strategy addresses the need for FDA to modernize its regulatory approach for new categories of foods, like PBMAs, developed through the latest technologies. Later this year, FDA will issue draft guidance on the labeling of plant-based milks and plant-based alternatives to “animal-derived foods” (meats) under the umbrella of the agency’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy. Thus, consumers need clarity in labeling to ensure product names, descriptions and packaging are not misleading and consumers have the qualifying terms to make informed decisions.Īs the agency that regulates plant-based foods in the US, the Food and Drug Administration shares this viewpoint. These products are often packaged in the same way as their animal protein counterparts and routinely sold next to the meat section in supermarkets. Yet, the reality is that plant-based meat products vary in their formulations, nutritional content and can be high in saturated fat and sodium. The most sought-after benefits consumers cite are heart health and a good source of high quality and complete protein. Polling shows consumers’ top reason for buying these products is the perceived healthfulness of PBMAs. It is easy to understand consumers’ excitement about meatless products that closely resemble the look, feel and taste of burgers, sausages, deli meat and other products made from beef, pork, chicken, eggs and seafood. As a result, current estimates put the market for PBMAs at $1.4 billion – up from $962 million in 2019 –and a Bloomberg Intelligence Report predicts a 500 percent increase in global sales of plant-based foods globally by 2030. With mounting information that plant-based diets are generally better for people’s health and the environment, many consumers are giving “meatless meats” a try.Ībout two-thirds of Americans consumed “plant-based meat alternatives” – or PBMAs – in the past year, with 20 percent eating them at least weekly, according to an August 2021 survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC). By Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy
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