Food Hygiene Risks Associated with Handling of Plant Based Meat Analogs

Abstract

Plant-based meat analogs (PBMAs) are defined as foods formulated from plant proteins that imitate meat structure, flavor and physical appearance. In the past decade, the market for PBMA has increased nearly threefold with global retail sales of $6,6 billion in 2024 compared to $2,2 billion in 2015, as part of a broader shift toward a more plant-based diet. However, knowledge of the microbiological risks associated with these products is still limited, as evidenced by the lack of specific regulations and guidelines regarding their hygiene and handling. The aims of this study were: 1) Identify the main microbial groups present in commercially available PBMAs in Sweden (n=20) and meat controls (n=5) through viable counts and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS); 2) Determine the growth of B. cereus and total aerobic counts (TAC) before and after cooking and warm holding at 60°C. In general, PBMAs had relatively low bacterial counts, with only one product surpassing 4,5 Log10CFU/g TAC. PBMAs and meat differed in their viable enterobacteria and Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) content, with similar growth for TAC, B. cereus, yeast and molds. On average, products based on pea-protein had the highest microbial load (2,3 - 3,8 Log10CFU/g TAC). Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. were detected in PBMAs by NGS. Both uncooked PBMAs and meat controls showed growth of presumptive B. cereus colonies; however, PBMAs showed higher Bacillus growth after cooking, and for some of the products, this growth increased after warm holding for 3 h at the temperature rec-ommended by Swedish food safety authorities (60°C), which has important implications for consumer safety.

Popular Abstract

Plant-based meat analogs (PBMAs) are foods formulated from plant proteins to imitate tradi-tional meat products such as fillets, sausages, nuggets and more. A lot of research has been dedicated to the formulation and processing of these products, while there are still knowledge gaps regarding their safety and hygiene.
These alternative foods are relatively new, with their market growing rapidly during the last decade, as part of a broader shift toward a more plant-based diet. While the technological ad-vancements in PBMAs manufacture and product development have moved fast, legislation re-garding these products has not followed at the same speed.
Currently, EU laws focus on regulating the labelling of these products; but there are no specific laws regarding their microbiological criteria, rather PBMAs are subject to the same regulations and guidelines as conventional meat products, despite their differences in physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics. Plant-based foods are often regarded as safer from a food hygiene perspective compared to conventional meat products, however, they can also pose a risk to consumers due to their high moisture and protein content as well as neutral pH, which makes them susceptible to microbial contamination. Moreover, plant-based foods naturally contain spore-forming bacteria, that can survive cooking temperatures and include human path-ogens, like B. cereus, which is a common cause of food-borne outbreaks. Additionally, heat treatment can activate dormant spores into vegetative cells capable of toxin production.
This master´s thesis project had two main objectives: first, to identify the main microbial groups present in commercially available PBMAs as an initial assessment of their food hygiene risks, and second, to evaluate whether warm-holding recommendations for PBMAs currently applied in the food serving industry are applicable to these types of products.
The findings of the study show that PBMAs and meat differ mainly in their viable Enterobacteriaceae content. On average, the products based on pea protein had the highest viable microbial loads; while the “burger” type analogs had the most varied microbial growth, possibly originating from the processing environment. Presence of sporulated microorganisms including Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. was detected on PBMAs. Both uncooked PBMAs and meat
control showed growth of presumptive B. cereus colonies, however PBMAs showed higher Bacillus growth after cooking, and for some of the products, this growth increased after warm holding for 3 h at the temperature recommended by Swedish food safety authorities (60°C); which has important implications for consumer safety.

• author: Torres Piñero, Raquel
• supervisor: Åsa Håkansson; Rumathi de Mel
• organization: Food Technology and Nutrition (M.Sc.)
• course: KLTM02 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Agriculture and Food Sciences
• keywords: plant based meat analogs, food hygiene, food safety, microbiological quality, food engineering nutrition and food chemistry
• language: English
• id: 9236696
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-16 13:47:30
• date last changed: 2026-06-16 13:47:30