Quorn’s blended products may be served within NHS setting by end of year
In a move to encourage people to eat less meat, Quorn has announced that it will blend some of its vegetarian sausages with meat. Here is ProVeg’s take on the matter:
“ProVeg takes an open-minded, evidence-based approach to “blended meat”. It is not clear whether eating blended meat is enough to help mitigate the climate crisis. We support more research into blended meat until evidence has been shown that it actually leads to a reduction in conventional meat consumption among consumers.
In the UK, in settings such as hospitals and schools, we can see this as a positive development. ProVeg UK’s School Plates program sees it as a flexible and pragmatic move in settings where there are guidelines and restrictions on how much plant-based food you can serve. Based on research from the World Resources Institute, which encourages blended meat as a way to reduce climate emissions, ProVeg UK often advises school caterers to blend some meat dishes, typically with lentils, to make a dish healthier and more sustainable. It is estimated that UK schools serve 1.2 billion meals per year, and the NHS 200 million meals, so some blending can make very significant climate emissions savings each year.
Pork, whether it is in a blended product or on its own, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other environmental issues.
So ProVeg advocates for a reduction in animal consumption and encourages companies and institutions to embrace more plant-based foods.
There is already a growing number of people on a flexitarian diet in the UK, which means they intentionally replace a meat-based option with a plant-based meal each week.
Both this, and the growing plant-based food market in the UK, are encouraging developments that need to be supported, in particular by the next UK Government which, ProVeg recommends, should follow Denmark’s lead with a plant-based food strategy.
Where health is concerned, a study by the Office of Health Economics estimated that if England adopted a 100% plant-based diet, it could save the NHS around £6.7 billion per year, primarily by reducing cases of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. This shift could also generate 172,735 additional quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), highlighting the extensive health benefits associated with plant-based diets.
Another study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that if 10% of the UK population adopted a diet emphasizing plant-based foods, it could save up to £5.21 billion in healthcare and societal costs over 20 years. These savings could increase to £7.54 billion if the diet included soy products.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected]
About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
