Growing Shift Toward Plant-Based Nutrition

Plant-based nutrition trends have gained popularity in recent times, accelerating further during the pandemic period. Research demonstrates that emphasizing plant-based nutrition in meals produces numerous positive effects on health. Highlighting that plant-based nutrition also contributes to sustainability compared to animal products, requiring less energy, land and water resources, MÜMSAD General Coordinator and Food Engineer Ebru Akdağ underscores the importance of plant-based nutrition for the health of our planet. MÜMSAD General Coordinator and Food Engineer Ebru Akdağ notes that many people worldwide have increased their interest in plant-based nutrition to strengthen their immune systems alongside the Covid-19 pandemic: "Plant-based nutrition includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains (bread, rice, pasta, noodles, couscous, bulgur, oats, barley and similar), legumes and plant oils (olive oil, sunflower oil, margarine and others). Consuming seasonal fruits and vegetables, keeping legumes in our kitchens and preferring whole grains are important. It should not be forgotten that frozen fruits and vegetables can also be preferred as they have high nutritional value similar to seasonal products. Today, the global food system contributes to approximately 20-35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and ranks among the main causes of land transformation, deforestation and biodiversity loss. In general, animal products carry a greater environmental burden. Therefore, incorporating more plant-based foods in our diet can benefit both our health and our planet", she said.

Akdağ, stating that the plant-based nutrition trend is on the rise in Turkey as it is worldwide, continued her remarks as follows: "Margarine, consisting entirely of plant-based oils and cholesterol-free like all plant-based products, is also being positively affected by this trend. Margarine, scientifically proven to contain no trans fat and with a saturated fatty acid ratio nearly as low as liquid oils, is becoming the choice of those who do not want to consume animal-based fats.

In our country, a voluntary initiative launched 14 years ago under the leadership of MÜMSAD (Kitchen Products and Margarine Manufacturers Association) led to the transition to trans fat-free margarine production. Within the scope of the plant-based nutrition trend, MÜMSAD stands out not only with margarine but also with frozen food, plant and fruit tea categories." Ebru Akdağ noted that one of the rising trends in plant-based nutrition is frozen foods, stating: "Freezing is one of the most reliable methods for consuming foods without losing their nutritional value and storing them safely. Fruits and vegetables picked from the branch undergo at least a 7-day journey before reaching sales points and then our tables. During this journey, they continue to lose nutritional value. Frozen foods, on the other hand, are produced by having facilities located near harvest areas, with products shock-frozen within a maximum of 8 hours. Scientific research shows that the nutritional value in frozen fruits and vegetables is even higher than fresh ones. Frozen foods, with growing interest in the rise of plant-based nutrition, offer fresh and healthy options year-round for everyone with additive-free and high nutritional value content", she stated.