People are switching to plant-based diets on the understanding that meat substitutes such as soy-based or pea-based proteins are the healthier option, as well as being better for the environment, and researchers from Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) have embarked on a study to test that hypothesis. The study is the first to test the impact of novel plant-based proteins on human health in Asia. The study will first establish the baseline diets of the three main ethnicities in Singapore — Malay, Indian and Chinese. It will then track health indicators from eating plant-based meats compared to animal meat over the course of a year, to determine whether different ethnic groups respond differently to plant-based proteins. “We need more studies that look holistically at the nutritional impact of these [plant-based] food products over time, to inform the food industry of its potential benefits or the need for reformulation,” said Professor Christiani Jeyakumar Henry, principal investigator for the study.

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