UK Plant-Based Meat Brand Fights Misinformation with Fact-Led Knowledge Hub

Plant-based meat alternatives have become increasingly popular in recent years, but the industry has faced a significant challenge in the form of misinformation spread by the meat industry. To combat this, This, a UK-based plant-based meat maker, has launched an evidence-led online knowledge hub. The hub, titled "100% Plant-Based. 100% Fact-Based.", aims to provide consumers with accurate information about the nutrition and sustainability impact of plant-based foods. The platform explores data around protein, fibre, saturated fat, iron, and vitamin B12, climate footprint, and animal welfare. ## The Impact of Misinformation The meat industry has spent millions on research papers and ad campaigns designed to smear plant-based alternatives, breeding negative perceptions about their health and environmental credentials. This misinformation has been further fueled by social media "super-spreaders" in cahoots with Big Meat. Many online influencers, including Jordan Peterson, Andrew Tate, 'Liver King' Brian Johnson, and Joe Rogan, have promoted the carnivore diet and spread dangerous misinformation about its health impact. This has had a profound impact on young men, who feel uncomfortable eating plant-based food in public, and are three times more likely than the general population to have increased their intake of meat last year. ## This's Knowledge Hub The new platform is designed around the three pillars of nutrition, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare. It provides side-by-side comparisons of This's products with their animal-derived counterparts, highlighting how plant-based meats fare on the protein scale. This's steak, chicken pieces, and pork rashers all deliver more protein than conventional versions, but its beef mince, burger, and pork sausage have slightly lower amounts of the macronutrient. The company's plant-based products also contain far more fibre than meat, which mostly has negligible amounts of the macronutrient. This is particularly important, as 95% of Brits are deficient in fibre. Additionally, This's meat-free innovations have a lower saturated fat content and contain higher levels of iron than animal proteins. ## Sustainability and Animal Welfare This's products blow away meat when it comes to sustainability, emitting a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, the company's vegan steak and burger generate 93% fewer emissions than beef, while its chicken and pork sausage have a 58% smaller footprint. On the animal welfare scale, This points out how its products don't call for the rearing, slaughtering, and transportation of animals. It cites UK government data showing that, in January alone, livestock producers slaughtered 96 million chickens, around 875,000 pigs and sheep, and over 160,000 cattle in the country. ## Industry Response This is not the first company to come out swinging against misinformation in the meat industry. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have long been embroiled in this battle. In an earnings call last week, Beyond Meat's founder and CEO, Ethan Brown, said the firm was "acutely aware that misinformation regarding the health of our products continues to impact our retail and foodservice businesses in the United States". Impossible Foods has also launched an online Health Hub, roping in nutritionists and dietitians to bust myths about the health impact of plant-based meat. The company has also used social media to highlight the misinformation spread by the meat industry, with a critically acclaimed mock smear campaign against its own products. This's new platform is designed to answer common questions in a way that's clear, balanced, and easy to understand. Whether you're plant-based, flexitarian, or simply curious, the platform is a valuable resource for anyone looking to explore the evidence behind some of the biggest discourses around food today.