A complete plant-based diet consists of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans, and excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products.[15,16]However, PBE can also be in combination with animal products, and someone on a plant-based diet may continue to have small amounts of eggs, poultry and fish, etc, whilst getting the majority of their protein from plant-based foods. [6, 16-18]

Plant-based manufactured products are designed to mimic the taste and texture of meat. They are made from a variety of plant-based ingredients such as mushrooms, pea protein, spelt, oats, wheat and soy. [7,6,16,18] Brands such as Quorn, Beyond Meat, Linda McCartney, and the Vegetarian Butcher are becoming more available in supermarkets. [6,18] In a survey from 2023, there were 138 sustainable protein food manufacturers in the UK and the market for PBE is growing now, with more advertising of plant-based products and its growing media presence. [7,6,18,19]

Eating a little less meat and choosing plant-based alternatives over meat two or three times a week and eating more wholegrains would reduce the cost of diet-related disease to the NHS and the UK economy and improve people’s quality of life. [1,4,13,16]

The Plant-based Food Alliance, The Food Foundation, The Green Alliance, Vegetarian Society UK and the Vegan Society all believe that plant-based food must be at the centre of the new National Food Strategy. [4,5,6,22,23,28] This is the summary of their recommendations for the government food policy:

• Introduce mandatory public reporting by large food businesses to allow for review of their products, manufacturing processes and sales. [2]

• Consider introducing a National Food System Data Programme to collect and share data so that businesses and other organisations involved in the food system can use this to check progress and make plans to help improve the availability of healthier food products. [3]

• Have an advertising reform reducing food advertising for junk food and unhealthy food products, to increase advertising for plant-based foods.[1]

• Update the Eatwell Guide (which was last updated in 2016) to consider the latest evidence on climate change, the carbon footprint of food production and food sustainability. [1,19]

• Increase the availability of Healthy Start payments in line with inflation, which will help low-income families access healthier foods. [1]

• Introduce community food initiatives, such as food hubs, to encourage the sharing of knowledge and skills around cooking. [1,4]

• Consider lowering VAT for restaurants and takeaway retailers that provide healthier meals and plant-rich meals. [1]

• Maximise horticulture growth with incentives for British farmers and produce growers, thus reducing reliance on expensive imports. [1,9]

• Further to the last recommendation, consider the development of a UK Plant-based Innovation Fund in partnership with DEFRA to develop supply chains and farm production models for more affordable and nutritious food. [1,24]

• Use the Land Use Framework to identify areas where land can be used not just for plant-based food production, but also for habitat creation to meet climate and nature targets. [1]

• Redesign the Government Buying Standards for Food (GBSF), ensuring that taxpayer money is spent on food that is both healthy and sustainable. [3]

• Strengthen regulation in food supply chains, i.e. targets for greenhouse gas emission, reducing food waste. [1,2,25]

• Increase investment in farms across the UK to help farmers change to more sustainable practices and increase the production of plant-based foods. [1,4,9,23,24,26]

• Expand the role of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) so they can regulate the production of healthy, sustainable food, as well as food safety. [3]

• Protect UK trade standards with clear environmental and animal welfare standards for all agricultural food imports, which must be met before accessing the UK market. [1,11,25]

• Use a Plant-Based Trademark to identify authentic plant-based foods. [5]

• Make plant-based eating more ‘normal’, such as ensuring that at least one plant-based (vegan) option is available to anyone every day on all public-sector menus, and provide training for catering staff in plant-based cooking skills. [27]

• Provide funds for research and development into food technology for meat-replacement products and increase the range of nutritious plant-based food products that have a similar taste and texture to meat. [12, 27]

• In response to the criticism regarding allowing many food manufacturers to be part of the Food Strategy panel, ensure that there are independent science experts and plant-based food manufacturers also included. [1,8-11]