Trends in nutrients How do animal and plant proteins differ?

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1 Trends in nutrients How do animal and plant proteins differ? By Isabelle Marquis Food marketing specialist and nutritionist

2 Thousands of references on the subject!

3 Why are proteins such a trendy topic? "Hyperactive" lifestyle Emergence of new needs Increased research Environmental issues Obesity and chronic diseases Identification/creation of alternative solutions People more curious about and interested in making healthy food choices Rapid population growth worldwide

4 Renewed interest in, and new perspectives on, the subject New vocabulary Green proteins, clean proteins, protein quality New needs Deconstructed meals, overwork, specific performance needs New motivations Maintenance of energy and a healthy weight, prevention of chronic and degenerative diseases Environmental protection and animal welfare More varied diet

5 Proteins What are they and why do our bodies need them?

6 A nutrient that occurs in a variety of forms Chains of amino acids 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential Millions of possible combinations Roughly 15% of the human body is composed of proteins

7 Proteins play multiple, complex and vital roles Major roles: Structure basic building blocks of all cells Carrier transport oxygen and many micronutrients Messenger e.g. hormones Chemistry and reactions e.g. enzymes and antibodies Energy (as a last resort) Life is impossible without proteins!

8 Requirements and consumption Our needs vary with age and health status. Calculated in g/kg of body weight Minimum 0.8 g/kg of body weight Ideally between 1 and 1.2 g/kg Daily protein requirements: 60 kg (132 lbs) min. 48 g 75 kg (165 lbs) min. 60 g 91 kg (200 lbs) min. 73 g Also influenced by gender and amount of physical activity Limited reserves important to consume some protein every day

9 Animal and plant proteins Are they so different?

10 The no. 1 difference: essential amino acids Animal proteins said to be complete Contain sufficient quantities of all the essential amino acids to meet our body s needs Plant proteins said to be incomplete Do not contain all the essential amino acids 3 exceptions: soybeans, quinoa and buckwheat

11 Another difference: protein content per portion Simmered pork curry with coconut 41 g of protein Tempeh, cauliflower and green pea curry with brown rice 25 g of protein

12 Aside from protein source and content New factors to consider: Bioavailability (digestibility) % of protein in a food that the body digests and absorbs Protein quality Varies depending on amino acid composition AND digestibility

13 Trends and innovation Diversification, sophistication and commitment

14 Consumer motivations for diversifying protein sources Health Variety Practicality Cost savings Ethics Environment

15 Plant proteins strike the right chords for consumers

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17 Beware of imitations!

18 What should the meat industry do? Multiple opportunities! Pleasure and authenticity Naturalness and healthfulness Ethics and transparency Snacks and breakfast

19 Pleasure and authenticity

20 Naturalness and healthfulness

21 Ethics and transparency

22 Ethics and transparency (cont d.)

23 Snacks and breakfast

24 To sum up Although the market is changing, animal proteins have a place in our diet! Photo: Le porc du Québec

25 A few ideas on how to counter the new competition Breeding Continue to improve practices Highlight areas that are already positive and improvement efforts Traceability and transparency Communicate facts simply and proudly Emphasize all relevant points without trying to minimize or obscure weaknesses

26 A few ideas on how to counter the new competition (cont d.) Sophistication Continue to emphasize high-quality elements Provide a range of sophisticated products, while remaining accessible Improvement Keep abreast of scientific progress Use positive news to promote the sector Understand negative news, in order to always be ready to act/react

27 Thank you for your attention!