Danes love meat. In fact, we eat an average of 62 kilos per year. But it’s worth chew over what we actually get from our steaks and sausages. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration recommends a maximum of 350 grams of meat per week, beef prices are skyrocketing, and replacing meat with plant protein is a major focus in the climate debate.

A range of plant-based meat alternatives are gaining traction in the market. Many aim to mimic the taste and texture of meat. But what about their nutritional value? Is it comparable?

This is where “EGO” comes in. It is the Danish acronym for the project entitled ‘Nutritional Value of Pork and Beef Compared to Meat Alternatives’ and the project is fundamentally about understanding the journey of protein from plate to triceps. “We’re investigating the nutritional value of meat and meat alternatives to see how well specific proteins are absorbed,” says Professor Margrethe Therkildsen, who leads the project. “Nutritional recommendations typically only talk about protein,” she continues.

Protein isn’t just protein. Depending on the raw material, there can be differences in how much protein is absorbed by the body and how well the body utilizes it. Animal protein has traditionally had an advantage; better amino acid composition and higher digestibility. Additionally, meat is a significant source of vitamins A, B₆, and B₁₂, and minerals like iron, zinc, and selenium. Recommendations for protein intake in healthy individuals emphasize a varied diet to meet protein needs through different foods. Therefore, if animal protein is replaced, it’s important to ensure adequate intake of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

So, what does it mean if meat is wholly or partially replaced by plant-based alternatives? The EGO project aims to answer this by examining how protein from meat and meat alternatives is digested, absorbed, and converted into muscle growth.

The project investigates four types of sausages made from minced pork, minced beef, pea protein, and a plant-based blend. These sausages are analyzed for water, fat, protein content, amino acid composition, and mineral content.

In the lab, human digestion is simulated using the INFOGEST model, where enzymes degrade food as if it were in your stomach.

The digested components are then passed to a cell model (Caco-2 cells) that mimics how nutrients pass through the intestinal wall and affect gene expression. In other words; essentially how different protein sources can alter your genes’ activity.

But it doesn’t stop there. The absorbed nutrients are also tested on muscle cells (C2C12 and primary satellite cells) to see how they affect muscle growth.

Over the past decade, pigs have been considered the best model for determining how well protein is digested in the small intestine of humans. Therefore, lab results are validated using the FAO-approved DIAAS method. In this method, pigs are fed the four different sausages as their sole protein source. For each type of sausage consumed, contents from the small intestine are collected to measure how much of each amino acid has been digested and absorbed. These results are compared to amino acid requirements for infants, children, and adults to determine the nutritional value of the protein.

“EGO” could influence future dietary guidelines—not just for the average Dane, but especially for groups with special needs. These include children, elderly with low appetite, and young women at risk of nutrient deficiencies.

The results from “EGO” will contribute to a global FAO database currently being developed, which includes new DIAAS-based values for protein quality in foods for human nutrition.

Hopefully, the project will help develop better plant-based products and provide the meat industry with a more nuanced understanding of the nutritional value of animal and plant-based alternatives. Importantly, it could be a significant step toward reducing animal testing if lab models can be used to assess the nutritional value of new foods more sustainably.

Margrethe Therkildsen elaborates: “We’re constantly developing new foods. Right now, we’re discussing hybrid products—blends of meat and plant protein.” “Here, it would be beneficial to have models that allow us to quickly and relatively cheaply assess the nutritional value of these products,” she concludes.

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The EGO project is a 2-year initiative that began on January 1, 2025, and is expected to conclude by the end of 2026. It is a collaboration between Aarhus University (Department of Food Science and Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences) and the Danish Technological Institute.

Topic	Content and purpose
Partners	Department of Food Science, Aarhus University Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University Danish Technological Institute.
External funding	The Pig Levy Fund and The Cattle Levy Fund Danish Crown has provided meat for the project.
Potential conflicts of interests	No known
Link to project homepage	Sammenligning af Ernæringsværdi: Grise- og Oksekød kontra Kød-alternativer
Contact info	Margrethe Therkildsen Professor at the Department of Food Science, Aarhus University E-mail: margrethe.therkildsen@food.au.dk Phone: +45 22 16 79 75