By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

It’s not your imagination. The cost of food is increasing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the U.S. Bureau of Labor, recently reported on food prices. In November 2022, based on preliminary data, the price of fresh and dry vegetables increased 38.1%, the highest increase of any food category. Other categories of plant foods had smaller increases:

• Fresh fruit and melons increased 3.2%
• Processed fruit and vegetables increased 1.7%
• Rice increased 0.5%

Some categories of plant foods decreased in price including:

• Pasta decreased 1.5%
• Grains decreased 3.2%

To read about eating vegan on a budget see:

Low-Cost Vegan Menus

Vegan at the Dollar Tree

Low-Cost Vegan Meal Plans

Quick and Easy Low-Cost Vegan Menus

Healthy, Sustainable and Affordable – Can We Have All Three?

Report Estimates the True Cost of Food in the US

photo from Aqua Cultured Foods

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Chicago-based food tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods is innovating in the alt-seafood space with its truly vegan products created through microbial fermentation.

On the menu are fungi-based seafood analogs including “whole-muscle cut tuna and whitefish, popcorn shrimp, calamari, and scallop alternatives,” according to a March 2022 press release. Aqua Cultured Foods in fresh or frozen varieties, breaded or seasoned, are in the pipeline. The first commercial product, calamari fries, was recently unveiled.

The startup’s website states: “Aqua’s products contain no microplastics, mercury, pesticides, antibiotics, dioxin or PCBs” like conventional seafood may contain. The products are safe for people with seafood allergies. They are soy- and gluten-free.

According to Aqua’s website, their fermentation methods do not use any animal inputs, genetic altering or modification, and are non-GMO. “We’re not messing with its DNA sequence or altering its genetic material because we want to maintain that non-GMO status,” Anne Palermo, CEO of Aqua Cultured Foods, reported to FoodNavigator.

Unlike many other plant-based meat alternatives made from starches and protein isolates derived from soy, pea, or other plant-based extracts, Aqua Cultured Foods seafood analogs are mycoprotein (fungal) and produced by microbial fermentation. The resulting fibrous biomass retains “naturally occurring fiber, protein, and other micronutrients.”

In a 2021 FoodDrive article, Palermo described their fermentation method as versatile: “By varying pressure levels, humidity and gases during the production process, the same protein can be made into a flaky fish analog, meaty popcorn shrimp, or chewy calamari ring.”

Palermo further explained their technique in a 2021 Just Food article: “Basically, it’s a very new and different way of producing mushrooms. Rather than growing them on a solid substrate such as coconut husks or sawdust, we are growing protein in a liquid broth.”

A FoodNavigator February 2022 article states their calamari analog has, per serving, fewer calories, no sodium, more protein, and none of the saturated fat or cholesterol as conventional calamari. Unlike fiberless marine calamari, each serving of Aqua’s product contains 10-12g of fiber.

In a September 2021 FoodNavigator article about Aqua Cultured Foods, Palermo describes their alt seafood analogs as “tasteless.” So, adding chemical masking agents to hide bitter off flavors – like other companies do – isn’t necessary. As a result, their ingredient labeling and branding terminology will be simple and clean – but as of yet no details are available except that vegan omega-3s are added to the breading.

The Vegetarian Resource Group corresponded with Anne Palermo, CEO of Aqua Cultured Foods, about their vegan mycoprotein products via their publicist, Gary Smith, in August 2022. We wanted to confirm that absolutely no animal ingredients, including animal-sourced genetic material from a virtual DNA library, were used in their manufacturing process from start to finish.

Here are our questions followed by Anne’s responses:

The VRG: Can you please confirm:

1. Your products contain no animal-derived ingredients.
2. There is no animal- or dairy-derived genetic material in the microbes used to make your products. This includes no animal DNA (including genes coding for dairy ingredients) from a digital library.
3. There are no animal- or dairy-derived ingredients in the nutrient growth medium. This includes cane sugar processed through cow bone char.

Anne Palermo: All three statements are true. Zero animal inputs in any phase of development and end product. When we are in full scale production (and at present), we will use 100% plant-based ingredients…our aim is to remove animals from the food system and that includes using inputs that don’t contain animal-derived ingredients or refined through the use of animal inputs.

The VRG followed up by asking for details on their market launch.

Gary Smith told us: “Aqua expects to do tasting events with some restaurant partners later this year (to gauge consumer acceptance), and then product introductions in markets via distribution partners in 2023…at first they won’t be going to grocery/retail, nor direct to consumers. Their plan is to sign agreements with foodservice suppliers.”

Stay tuned to The VRG Blog for all the specifics on Aqua Cultured Foods upcoming market launch.

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Picture yourself at a well-stocked supermarket. You are reading package labels to try to assess which foods are healthiest for you. “What about foods that are best for the environment?” you may wonder. In the past, The Vegetarian Resource Group has reported about studies finding that producing a single serving of red or processed meat has a markedly larger impact on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, acidification, and air quality than does producing a serving of plant foods (1, 2).  While helpful, these studies don’t aid with making decisions about specific food products.

New research, using more than 57,000 products from the United Kingdom and Ireland, estimated products’ impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water stress, and eutrophication potential (3). Each food’s nutritional quality was also considered. Generally speaking, more nutritious foods were more environmentally sustainable. If the different aisles in a grocery store were considered, the aisles with fruits, vegetables, salads, breakfast cereals, some breads, and meat alternatives (e.g. tofu, vegan sausages) were judged to have the best scores for environmental impact and nutritional quality. Aisles with cheese, chocolate, savory pies, and quiches scored worst for environmental impact and nutritional quality. The aisles with the greatest environmental impact generally were ones with beef and lamb products. Some products such as sodas, fruit juice, and frozen desserts had low environmental impact scores but were deemed to be of poor nutritional quality.

In the U.K., package labels indicate the actual amount of ingredients, saying something like pesto is 47% by weight basil and 5% cashews. This information, which was used in this research to estimate the environmental impact of products containing a number of ingredients, is not included on labels in the U.S.  This study used a serving size of 3 ounces of product for all foods. This may over-estimate the actual amount consumers eat of some foods (like nuts) and under-estimate the amount of others (like prepared entrées). The estimated environmental impact includes the processing and transportation to retail stores of raw ingredients but does not include postproduction processing, packaging, and transportation. So, for example, the environmental impact of making sugar into soda or of making flour into bread was not calculated. Despite these limitations, this study offers help to consumers making decisions about which food to purchase.

To reduce the environmental impact of their food choices, consumers can reduce or eliminate foods like beef, lamb, and cheese and products containing these foods. These can be replaced by similar plant-based products which have a lower environmental impact.

We hope that additional studies like this one will be conducted in the United States and other countries and that package labels of food products will include information about their environmental impact.

References

1. Domingo NGG, Balasubramanian S, Thakrar SK, et al. Air quality-related health damages of food. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(20):e2013637118.
2. Clark MA, Springmann M, Hill J, Tilman D. Multiple health and environmental impacts of foods. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019;116(46):23357-23362.
3. Clark M, Springmann M, Rayner M, et al. Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022;119(33):e2120584119.

To read more about environmental effects of food choices see:

Save Our Water: The Vegetarian Way

The Water Footprint of a Vegan Versus a Meat Burrito

Is Dairy-free Better for the Environment?

Photo from Belse Restaurant Bar & Brewery (@belsenyc)

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Belse, 265 Bowery, New York, NY 10002

Belse’s high-end, culture-agnostic approach leads to options ranging from the beet carpaccio with almond ricotta to a selection of pizzas and flatbreads including mushroom pesto to the Aubergine filet, an eggplant steak in a mushroom au jus. The brunch menu offers a mix of savory items as well as breakfast dishes such as banana pancakes or lemon poppy seed waffles with a maple rum syrup. In line with Belse’s tagline (“The best vegan food tastes even better when you drink responsibly”), the full-service bar and on-site brewery offer a range of beverages to pair with your meal. This includes the 4 signature wines from the Belse winery in Healdsburg, California, and the freshly made brews from the only 3-vessel German brewhouse in Manhattan. Brunch cocktails include the Upside-Down Cake made with vanilla vodka and lemon and pineapple juices and the Black & White Espresso Martini. If you are not already blown away by the thoughtfulness and creativity of Belse, consider this: the restaurant’s logo (hands holding the earth wrapped in a lotus flower) was designed by Shepard Fairey, the street artist who created the “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama.

 Chelsea Cashew Creamery, 719 Broadway, Dunedin, FL 34698

Chelsea Cashew Creamery is a mother & son business in the Tampa Bay area that makes all its ice cream in-house with natural ingredients and no stabilizers or additives. The menu includes flavors such Chelsea’s choice, chocolate walnut, coconut, Dutch chocolate, masala chai, mint chip, pistachio, mocha, and many more amazing flavors.

Folke, 2585 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9 Canada

Kitsilano-based restaurant with ever-changing menu based around vegetables from local farms and alcohol from local breweries and wineries.  Order a few small plates to share, or a 6-course tasting menu.  Offerings include expertly selected, paired and prepared vegetable dishes such as beets with rose, hazelnut and rhubarb; dumplings with mushroom xo, gai lan, and ponzu; or a dessert consisting of rhubarb, fennel and chamomile.  Guests can sit at tables amidst the classy indoor décor, at a bar overlooking the open kitchen, or on the covered patio outdoors. Chefs often interact with guests to speak about the dishes and the local farms the ingredients came from, and guests can also come to the daily “patio hang” at 3-5pm with beer, wine, and snacks. Menu prices include gratuity in an effort to pay the front-of-house staff a fair wage.

House of Mexica, 3600 Warren Way #107, Reno, NV 89509

Showcasing the roots of the Mexica (Meh-Shee-Ca) tribe, House of Mexica will undoubtedly catch your attention if not through their authentic Mexican cuisine, then through their bold, eye-catching bright purple logo. This vegan restaurant gives you complete mobility of your experience from their loads of soy and gluten-free options, 5 different “meat” options (Asada, Al Pastor, Chick’n, Nohpalli (prickly pear cactus), Hibiscus), and loads of house toppings to customize your dish. They have dedicated a section of the menu entirely to Mexican classics such as Tacos, Sopes, Tortas, Burritos, and Chimichangas. Additionally, their 12 different Chick’n Sandwiches, Burgers, and Bowls make it impossible for you to not find something you love. Another popular section are their fries as you can choose between the Mexican, Buffalo, Asada, Animal Kingdom, or Mac ‘n’ cheese options. Lastly, they have a selection of “smoothie gods” as you can choose between their water, solar, fire, or earth smoothies, or Mexican classics like Horchata and Jamaica.

Laughing V, 184 Duane St., New York, NY 10013

Tiny spot in Tribeca, a few blocks from the World Trade Center. Partnered with the Laughing Man Café next door, part-owned by actor Hugh Jackman.  Serves both drinks (including coffee — or check out the caffeine-free pink “matcha” with powdered dragon fruit) and sandwiches and baked goods, as well as a small collection of vegan market items (cashew cheese, vegan pudding mix etc.). The food is mostly made from scratch out of unprocessed ingredients (including the bread for the sandwiches): try the Philly Cheesesteak, featuring seitan handmade from lentils and Italian herbs. Seating available at the benches and small park right outside.

Nomoo, 7507 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

Nomoo serves soy-free, non-GMO burgers, shakes, Everything Vegan BBQ facon, hot chick’n, fried oyster, Beyond patty, fried onion strings, and more. Nomoo has both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as soothing music and a prime location for people-watching.

Rock n Roots, 469 Willis Ave., Williston Park, NY 11596

Enjoy a granola cup, sushi rolls, wraps and salads, panini sandwiches, burgers, and desserts.

Seaside Eatery, 98275 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

Seaside Eatery is a food truck eatery with outdoor seating. Serving the freshest ingredients to bring you delicious hand-crafted dishes such as the Stack ‘o Cakes, Avocado Toast, Lyndsay’s Bahn Mi, Roasted Vedge, Falafel, Chickpea salad, Hummus, and other dishes. They also offer Boba teas.

Sookie’s Veggie Burgers, 502 State St., Madison, WI 53703

Besides burgers, other items on the menu include spinach chicken pesto sandwich, chicken sandwich, black bean chipotle burger, and fries. They also have desserts produced locally.

photo from DC Botanical Bar

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Bosky’s Vegan Grill, 405 W. Walnut St., Springfield, MO 65806

Bosky’s Vegan Grill offers the 405 salad, chicken filet meal, beyond burger meals, chicken nugget meal, fresh sliders meal, deep-fried brat, and much more. Bosky’s also has vegan sauces and locally made vegan patties that are tasty, generously portioned, and reasonably priced.  The dining area has a limited number of seats.

Botanical Bar, 1633 P St., NW, Washington, DC 20036

Located downstairs beneath the DC Vegan Deli in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, this is the perfect date-night spot, with a uniquely rich nocturnal décor, full of plants and dark colors. They specialize in craft cocktails and mocktails — Italian classics like limoncello and negroni, and herbal and floral creations — as well as vegan-certified wines and local beers. They usually use aquafaba as an egg replacement and oat milk for creams. They also serve Italian-style coffees and bites including mushroom calamari and cauliflower wings.  You can sit in the unique space inside or on the small dog-friendly patio immediately outside.

Café Red, 7148 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle, WA 98118

Café Red is a small, independent vegan café in south Seattle that offers an outdoor patio and dine-in seating area. Their menu is filled with yummy vegan breakfast and lunch items, along with an extensive list of beverages including espressos, teas, cold brewed coffee, frozen drinks, and more. In the mood for something hitting close to home, try their popular mac and cheez with gluten free macaroni noodles, a blend of organic quinoa, rice, and amaranth. Need to pick something up for breakfast? Enjoy a pesto breakfast sandwich featuring their legendary homemade pesto, home-made egg patty, Violife smoked provolone, and fresh tomato slices all on their fresh locally-baked bread. Whether it’s through their open mic nights or cozy ambience that makes you want to grab your favorite book, Café Red is a lovely place to enjoy the little things in life.

Jack Up Vegan, 959 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789

Located beside The Wine Barn, the Jack Up Vegan stands out with its bold neon lime green truck amidst the bustling streets of Florida. This food truck prides itself in making sure flavor is never compromised no matter the diet. From burritos, tacos, pizzas, an empanada, and even 10 side choices to accompany your flavorful main meal, the Jacked Up Vegan will have you genuinely amazed by their incredible selection of food.

La Conceria, 3580 Notre-Dame St. West, Montreal, QC H4C 1P4 Canada

A quick glance at La Conceria’s menu, with its offerings that include Polenta Fritta and Ravioli Pomodoro, and you might think you are simply about to eat at a typical osteria (a casual Italian eatery). A closer look, however, will have you notice the cashew ricotta on the Carote Glassate and the coconut crumble that is sprinkled over the Cavoletti di Bruxelles, and you will realize that you have happened upon the vegan Italian restaurant that now graces Montreal’s St.-Henri neighborhood. In true Italian tradition, La Conceria also offers a robust wine and cocktail menu, as well as a dessert menu that boasts a Tiramisu all’Arancia made with a coconut mascarpone.

Nissi VegMex, 9012 Research Blvd., Unit C-6, Austin, TX 78758

Nissi VegMex serves birria tacos, carne asada fries, street tacos, flautas, nachos, burrito, and other Mexican dishes. The queso is also to die for! The flavors are authentic, and the presentation is stunning. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and the atmosphere is welcoming.

Purple Thai, 1204 Broadway Ground Floor, New York, NY 10001

Purple Thai serves farm-to-table meals and has many nut-free and gluten-free options. Try drunken noodles, evil jungle princess, crispy spring rolls, drumstix, and other treats. They have sauces ranging from sweet to spicy to tangy, and they use organic produce, no unprocessed sugars, and very little oil and salt.

Zucchini Fritters with Peppadew Aioli, Corn Salad, Calabrian Chili & Fresh Basil from PiANTA

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Anyone’s Café & Bakery, 133 Gregory St., Rochester, NY 14620

Anyone’s Café & Bakery is a worker-owned cooperative offering plant-based baked goods, breakfast, and lunch. The bakery offers muffins, cinnamon rolls, and cookies (including the popular sunbutter cookie). The bubba oyster mushroom sandwich and fried shiitake mushrooms nuggets are available on the lunch menu. Salads can be ordered as a side or as an entrée such as the dandelion salad. Signature drinks include the lilac latte (espresso, plant-based milk, and house-made lilac syrup) and the Sappho (espresso, French vanilla and lavender syrup, oat milk, and dried violets).

Little Saint, 25 North St., Healdsburg, CA 95448

Little Saint is a restaurant, café, and wine shop serving California-Mediterranean inspired cuisine. The menu is built around locally grown produce and includes dishes such as lavash with a selection of plant-based dips, rosemary spaetzle with maitake mushrooms, and spring asparagus with nori-walnut pesto. Some dishes are meant to be shared including cauliflower biriyani with rose petals. The café menu offers seasonally rotating baked goods, soups, salads, grain bowls, and bento boxes. Little Saint’s Provisions features a collection of items that can be purchased to complete a picnic or a quick lunch. Locally sourced items such as artisanal plant-based cheeses, yogurts, and fermented items are also available.

PiANTA, 408 Atwells Ave., Providence, RI 02909

Chef and founder Michelle Politano combined her passion for her family’s Italian roots and cuisine with her desire to offer healthier yet still-tasty food regardless of one’s dietary preferences and PiANTA (which means “plant” in Italian) was born. The vegan menu offers a wide range of Italian and American-inspired comfort foods, with soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free options. Satisfy the craving for hearty Italian fare with the Italian “chicken” cutlet sandwich or the Penne Alla Vodka pasta, or else try to choose from among the 4 grilled cheese variations—made with coconut-based rather than nut cheeses. Make sure to leave room for one of the decadent desserts, such as the chocolate cake with whipped peanut butter frosting.

ShadoBeni, 1534 Brighton Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Located on the North Side, this cozy restaurant brings vibrant Trini food to Pittsburgh. Named after an herb which grows wild in Trinidad, and run by a professional artist, Ulrich Joseph, who delights in bright colors in his food as much as his décor (the restaurant features beautiful murals), and focuses on local, unprocessed ingredients. Trinidadian food uniquely blends elements from many cultures, and they serve the likes of curries, choka (roasted tomatoes), pineapple chow, and fried plantains, with rice or roti (a little like a burrito) alongside smoothies or drinks lie sorrel, trini hot cocoa and Trinidadian soft drinks.

Shea’s Sol Kitchen, 4600 W Kellogg Dr., Wichita, KS 67209

Looking for a warm and hearty comfort food go-to without the sacrifice? Look no further! Shea’s Sol Kitchen serves up everything from wraps, bowls, sandwiches, and more – all with a plant-based twist. Satisfy your guilty pleasures with a Sol Bowl, made with cheesy mac n’ “cheese,” topped with handmade “chicken” tenders or roasted cauliflower, house ranch, and green onion, or opt for a healthier dish, such as the Sol Salad, crafted with crispy romaine lettuce, crispy/grilled “chicken”, sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, “cheese,” and your choice of a sauce. Whatever your needs are, Sol has something for you.

Vistro Burger, 1204 Broadway Ground Floor, New York, NY 10001

Vistro Burger is a plant-based establishment that serves burgers, all-American burgers, beanoa burgers, sexy seitan burgers, polenta sticks, and bean-based patties fries. All the burgers are made from scratch, and the buns are distinctive, holding up well without becoming soggy.

Zammy’s Vegan kitchen, 1155 Worthington Woods Blvd., Columbus, OH 43085

Need a quick fill-up on the way to work or a little something to treat yourself with after a long day? Check out Zammy’s Vegan kitchen! Priding itself in quick service and quality ingredients, Zammy’s kitchen is the perfect stop for those in a hurry, yet crave a delicious vegan meal. In the early hours of the day try the breakfast burrito – made with a house-made vegan egg, hash browns, bacon, black beans, sautéed peppers + onions, and cheese with your choice of sauce: creamy jalapeno or maple mustard. Feeling hungry mid-day? Try the Zack – a burger crafted with a house-made burger patty with pepper jack cheese, spinach, tomato, and smashed avocado, with creamy jalapeno sauce on a toasted brioche bun.

Chen Zeng wrote this based on his experience as a student researcher while pursuing his Master of Food Science at Cornell University.

Vegan cheese alternatives is one of the categories that is growing rapidly in recent years and different styles of vegan cheese alternatives (mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, etc.) have started to pop up. In general, there are two categories of vegan cheese alternatives available produced with different processing techniques. Starch-based cheese products usually come in shredded or sliced form and they are produced by simply mixing all the ingredients together. Nut-based cheese products are usually sold as a spread or block and they are produced in a way similar to dairy cheese, which involves fermentation and aging. Even though these two types of cheese alternatives fill out part of the market demand, many in the past both lacked certain properties that consumers are looking for. For the starch-based cheese, they usually have very little amount of protein as starch is used to mimic the melting and stretching properties of dairy cheese. For the nut-based cheese, they have a certain amount of protein and nutritional value but the texture is very different from dairy cheese and they are not suitable for people with nut allergies. Consumers are looking for a product that is high in protein but also has dairy cheese-like texture.

My project on fava bean based vegan cheese is targeted at filling out this market blank by creating a vegan cheese product that has some amount of protein while maintaining a desirable stretching and melting properties. Unfortunately, the limiting factor of the texture of vegan cheese is plant protein itself. Casein, a type of dairy protein, has the unique properties of melting and forming stretchable strings upon heating. It is difficult to find a substitute for dairy protein in the plant protein world simply because the protein structure and the way protein molecules interact with each other are different between casein protein and plant protein. A 1:1 substitution of plant protein to casein protein in vegan cheese will end up with a product that is tough and doughy in texture. To solve this problem, some forms of processing is needed to improve the functionality of plant protein so that a higher amount of protein can be incorporated into the cheese without compromising texture. There are mainly three types of processing that include physical, chemical, and enzymatic processing. Extrusion processing, a form of physical processing, was chosen for this study. Extrusion is commonly used to produce vegan meat analogs, pasta, cereal, etc. Ingredients will go through mixing, heating, and shearing stages and finally through a die to form the ideal shapes. Many research studies suggested that extrusion processing is also capable of alternating plant protein orientation and possibly improving the functionality of protein besides the common uses. Therefore, we tested out this hypothesis with fava bean protein and used the products that came out of this process to make our final vegan cheese product. Compared to a prototype using unprocessed fava bean protein, extruded fava bean protein prototype has shown a 40% improvement on stretching quality and 10% improvement on melting quality. This extruded fava based vegan prototype is also able to achieve a comparable texture profile (stretchability and meltability) as commercial vegan cheese but with a higher amount of protein at 10%.

These promising results are suggesting that plant protein could be an option for protein-rich vegan cheese products after proper treatment and dairy protein is not a necessary element to produce protein-rich cheese with good texture. Despite the promising results from stretch test and melt test, this study did not address much on the evaluation of the sensory aspects of the extruded fava cheese prototypes. In the future, this project will shift toward investigating the sensory aspect and further improving the stretching and melting properties of protein-rich vegan cheese to the next level.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The phrase “ultra-processed food” seems to be appearing more commonly in scientific publications. This phrase was created by scientists in Brazil (1).  They were concerned because existing food categorization schemes considered an apple, sweetened applesauce, and sugary fruit drinks all to be “fruits.” They proposed an alternative system (2); one that classifies foods into four groups:

1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods. This group includes basic foods that have undergone minimal processing in order to preserve the foods, make them safer, or more palatable. Processes could include drying, chilling or freezing, pasteurizing, fermenting, and reducing fat. Foods in this category include grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fresh meat, and dairy milk.
2. Processed culinary and food industry ingredients. This group includes substances removed and purified from the first group in order to produce ingredients. Processes that these ingredients might undergo include milling, refining, and hydrogenation and radically change the nature of the product. Items in this category are used in the preparation of unprocessed or minimally processed foods. This group include flours, oils, fats, salt, sugars, and high fructose corn syrup.
3. Processed foods. These foods are made by adding salt, sugar, or other ingredients to unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Examples of foods in this category include canned beans and vegetables, unsweetened canned fruits, and salted nuts.
4. Ultra-processed food products. These foods are ready to heat or to eat with little or no preparation. They have undergone processes such as salting, baking, frying, pickling, and canning. They are typically high calorie, high sodium, low fiber foods that are contain little protein, and few vitamins or minerals. Foods in this category include ready-to-eat snacks and desserts, soft drinks, margarine, frozen pizza and other frozen foods, instant soups, candy, commercial breads and buns, and sausages.

I am increasingly seeing articles which classify foods that may be eaten by vegetarians such as plant milks, seitan cutlets, and commercial veggie burgers as ultra-processed foods (3-5). This is concerning because, just as the originators of the concept of the 4 food groups chafed at the idea that both brown rice and packaged snack cakes would be categorized as grain and cereal products, I find it hard to equate a fortified soymilk and a soft drink in terms of nutritional quality.

Ultra-processed foods are thought of as being high in calories, salt, sugar, and fat and are often associated with being the foods we crave, despite having little to recommend them in terms of nutrition. This hardly seems like the correct category for foods such as plant milks or some brands of veggie burgers.

In addition, this scheme moves vegan foods fortified with important nutrients, that are high fiber and low sugar, into a category that people are being told to avoid. And yet, meat and dairy milk are in the unprocessed or minimally processed category which is being promoted. Something doesn’t seem right.

The American Society for Preventive Cardiology has proposed a new category of “smartly processed” foods which includes fortified plant milks and plant protein-based meat and egg substitutes (6). They describe these foods as low in saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and cholesterol and state that these foods can add nutrition value.  This makes sense to me.

To read more about our take on ultra-processed (and processed) foods see:

Beware of Diets Based on Ultra-Processed Foods

Vegan Processed Foods: Embrace Them? Shun Them?

References

1. Monteiro CA, Levy RB, Claro RM, Castro IR, Cannon G. A new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. Cad Saude Publica. 2010;26(11):2039-2049.
2. Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutr. 2019;22(5):936-941.
3. Orlich MJ, Sabaté J, Mashchak A, et al. Ultra-processed food intake and animal-based food intake and mortality in the Adventist Health Study-2 [published online ahead of print, 2022 Feb 24]. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;nqac043. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac043
4. Gehring J, Touvier M, Baudry J, et al. Consumption of ultra-processed foods by pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans: associations with duration and age at diet initiation. J Nutr. 2021;151(1):120-131.
5. Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Vadiveloo M, et al. 2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;144(23):e472-e487.
6. Belardo D, Michos ED, Blankstein R, et al. Practical, evidence-based approaches to nutritional modifications to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: an American Society For Preventive Cardiology Clinical Practice Statement. Am J Prev Cardiol. 2022;10:100323.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

After careful analysis of the posted ingredient statements for all menu options on the Domino’s Pizza website, here are their vegan menu items.

Vegan crust at Domino’s Pizza

The only vegan crust at Domino’s is the thin crust dough. All the others contain whey or honey.

As The VRG recently reported, the L-cysteine dough conditioner at Domino’s is microbial.

Which sauce at Domino’s Pizza is vegan?

Domino’s pizza sauce appears vegan. It contains sugar which may have been processed through cow bone char.

The VRG asked Spencer Breidinger, Manager of Global Product Quality and Regulatory Compliance – Supply Chain Services at Domino’s about its sugar and how it had been processed before arriving at Domino’s. He replied:

“Our sauce and seasoning suppliers have confirmed that bone char is not used in the processing of the sugar they source.”

Vegan diners should note that the Hearty Marinara Sauce contains butter and cheese.

Vegetarian patrons should be aware that the Spinach & Feta Pizza is made with Alfredo sauce which contains beef enzymes.  

Is there a vegan cheese option at Domino’s Pizza?

At this time, Domino’s does not offer non-dairy cheese in the United States.

The VRG asked Aubrey Yuzva, the Director of Menu and Product Development at Domino’s Pizza, if Domino’s had ever trialed non-dairy cheese in the past or had any plans to offer it in the future. Aubrey replied in November 2021 by email:

“We have not offered non-dairy cheese in the United States before, but other regions have launched or tested those types of offerings in the past. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on future plans around non-dairy cheese alternatives for confidentiality reasons.”

Note: The VRG reported on Domino’s Israel and its soy cheese debut in 2014.

The VRG followed up by asking where interested readers should check for updates on any non-dairy cheese trials or launches at Domino’s. Aubrey responded:

“Any official announcements would largely be made via press release, our website, social media pages, and TV advertising.”

If you would like to see vegan cheese at Domino’s, The VRG encourages readers to contact the restaurant chain directly through their website contact form and on social media. Express your wish to have a vegan cheese option at Domino’s. Be sure to specify your city and state to aid them in any trials.

For information about other chains, see:
https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information about ingredients, see: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The American Heart Association recently issued a scientific statement “2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health.” This statement replaces their earlier recommendations which were published 15 years ago. While the focus of this statement is heart health, it also considers dietary effects on cancer, diabetes, kidney function, and Alzheimer’s disease as well as environmental effects of food choices.

Based on all of these considerations, the American Heart Association recommendations include:

• “Choose healthy sources of protein – mostly protein from plants (legumes and nuts)”
• “Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, choose a wide variety”
• “Choose foods made mostly with whole grains rather than refined grains”

While these guidelines do not call for a vegan or vegetarian diet, they do encourage choosing more plant foods and illustrate the importance of plant foods for a healthy diet.

These guidelines also address ultra-processed foods and say, “Choose minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods” with the caveat that some healthy foods may be categorized as ultraprocessed. In contrast to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a year ago, the American Heart Association guidelines address the environmental impact of commonly consumed animal products, especially red meat.

To read the entire text of the American Heart Association’s Guidelines see 2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

To read more about our take on ultra-processed (and processed) foods see:

Beware of Diets Based on Ultra-Processed Foods

Vegan Processed Foods: Embrace Them? Shun Them?