Study finds plant-based meat offers more absorbable protein than chicken

A study by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) and the Good Food Institute (GFI) India has found that plant-based meat available in the Indian market can deliver comparable or higher absorbable (bioavailable) protein than conventional meat.

CSIR-IHBT and GFI India launched their joint report titled ‘Protein quality and bioavailability of indigenous crop-based ingredients and plant-based meat products in India’ at the CSIR Science Centre recently. Researchers tested five commercial plant-based meat products against conventional counterparts, using laboratory simulations of human digestion.

After cooking, two plant-based ‘seekh kebabs’ recorded 81 per cent and 86 per cent protein bioavailability (protein that is actually absorbed by the body as nutrition), respectively, compared with 39 per cent for conventional chicken.

Two plant-based patties scored 57 per cent and 58 per cent, against 21 per cent for conventional chicken. Plant-based nuggets scored 61 per cent against 43 per cent for chicken nuggets. Protein claims commonly found on food labels only notes how much protein is in the food and not how much will actually be in use.

In India, where nearly 50 per cent of dietary protein intake comes from cereals with incomplete amino acid profiles, considering quantity alone may not ensure adequate protein quality. A statement said that factors such as essential amino acid composition, digestibility, and bioavailability become especially critical when protein requirements must be met within a limited number of calories.

According to the study, cooking raised or retained absorbable protein in four of the five plant-based meat products, while reducing it in certain conventional options. When analysing indigenous pulses and millets, researchers found that pressure cooking nearly quadrupled bioavailable protein in cowpea and raised it in chickpea, while fermentation more than tripled it in mung beans.

Millets responded favourably to biological processing such as sprouting and fermentation. Quoting Padma Ishwarya, Co-author and Senior Scientist at GFI India, the statement said: “By building a stronger evidence base on protein quality in foods consumed, we can support better-informed product development and future nutrition assessments.

India’s plant-based sector also can benefit from marketing nutrition claims beyond just grams of protein.” Sudesh Kumar Yadav, Director of CSIR-IHBT, said: “Despite being the world’s largest producer of millets and pulses, India imports the majority of the plant protein concentrates and isolates.

There is a strong need to generate robust scientific evidence to position indigenous crops for meaningful nutritional outcomes. The joint research carried out by CSIR-IHBT and GFI India enables a self-reliant protein ecosystem for India.” Shantanu Das, Vice President and Head of Food Science, ITC Ltd, said: “To be a developed nation by 2047, we need to focus on making our population healthier.

India meets the requirement of over 50 grams of protein but accounting for digestibility, it is less than 40 per cent of what we need.” Shailaja Donempudi, Head of CSIR-Business Development Group, said: “Protein should be affordable, sustainable, with choices available to suit our population.

We have yet to tap our indigenous resources.”