TABLE 5.
Content on the front of pack label in 2014, 2017, and 2021.
| Tofu products (n = 12) | Legume products (n = 100) | Plant-based meats (n = 180) | |||||||
| 2014 (n = 5) | 2017 (n = 3) | 2021 (n = 4) | 2014 (n = 21) | 2017 (n = 31) | 2021 (n = 48) | 2014 (n = 40) | 2017 (n = 40) | 2021 (n = 100) | |
| Claim type and content | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) |
| Nutrition claim | |||||||||
| Nutrient content claim | 5 (100%) | 1 (33%) | 0 | 20 (95%) | 30 (97%) | 39 (81%) | 39 (97%) | 40 (100) | 99 (99%) |
| Positive nutrients | |||||||||
| Protein | 5 (100%) | 1 (33%) | 0 | 1 (5%) | 9 (29%) | 17 (35%) | 31 (78%) | 40 (100%) | 76 (76%) |
| Iron | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (10%) | 4 (8%) | 13 (33%) | 20 (50%) | 17 (17%) |
| Vit. B12 | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (5%) | 2 (6%) | 4 (8%) | 13 (33%) | 20 (50%) | 20 (20%) |
| Zinc | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (5%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 12 (30%) | 14 (35%) | 1 (1%) |
| Fiber | 2 (40%) | 0 | 0 | 8 (40%) | 13 (42%) | 18 (28%) | 13 (33%) | 17 (43%) | 30 (30%) |
| Fatty acids | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5%) | 1 (1%) |
| Negative nutrients | |||||||||
| Cholesterol | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 (52%) | 5 (16%) | 1 (2%) | 21 (53%) | 22 (55%) | 12 (12%) |
| Fat (general) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 2 (5%) | 4 (10%) | 2 (2%) |
| Fat (saturated) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2%) | 0 | 1 (3%) | 10 (10%) |
| Energy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 (6%) |
| Sugar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| No nutrient content claim | 0 | 2 (66%) | 4 (100%) | 1 (5%) | 1 (3%) | 9 (19%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| Health-related ingredient | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 (29%) | 6 (19%) | 7 (15%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| 1 serve of veg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 (29%) | 4 (13%) | 6 (13%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| 100% vegetable | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 veg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wholegrain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No health-related ingredient claim | 5 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 15 (71%) | 25 (81%) | 41 (85%) | 39 (98%) | 40 (100%) | 99 (99%) |
| Health claim | |||||||||
| General health | 1 (20%) | 0 | 1 (25%) | 1 (5%) | 3 (10%) | 11 (23%) | 10 (25%) | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| Low GI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 2 (4%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nutritious | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Good for you / Goodness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5%) | 0 | 10 (21%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| Health / Healthy / Wellbeing | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (6%) | 0 | 10 (25%) | 0 | 0 |
| No general health claim | 4 (80%) | 3 (100%) | 3 (75%) | 20 (95%) | 28 (90%) | 37 (77%) | 30 (75%) | 40 (100%) | 99 (99%) |
| Reduction of disease risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (8%) | 1 (3%) | 0 |
| National Heart Foundation Approved (Tick)† | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (8%) | 1 (3%) | 0 |
| No reduction of disease risk claim | 5 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 21 (100%) | 31 (100%) | 48 (100%) | 37 (93%) | 39 (98%) | 100 (100%) |
| Other claims | |||||||||
| Environment-related claim | 0 | 0 | 1 (25%) | 6 (29%) | 11 (36%) | 6 (13%) | 7 (18%) | 4 (10%) | 24 (24%) |
| Organic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (10%) | 1 (3%) | 2 (4%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GMO-free | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (19%) | 10 (32%) | 2 (4%) | 7 (18%) | 4 (10%) | 24 (24%) |
| Palm oil free | 0 | 0 | 1 (25%) | 0 | 0 | 3 (6%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No environment-related claim | 5 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 3 (75%) | 15 (71%) | 20 (65%) | 42 (88%) | 33 (83%) | 36 (90%) | 76 (76%) |
| Other health-related claim | 5 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 21 (100%) | 31 (100%) | 48 (100%) | 40 (100%) | 40 (100% | 100 (100%) |
| Dietary pattern | |||||||||
| Vegan / Vegetarian | 3 (60%) | 2 (67%) | 3 (75%) | 14 (67%) | 26 (84%) | 36 (75%) | 33 (100%) | 33 (83%) | 60 (60%) |
| Plant-based | 0 | 0 | 1 (25%) | 0 | 0 | 16 (33%) | 0 | 0 | 62 (62%) |
| Meat-free | 0 | 3 (100%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 4 (8%) | 20 (61%) | 18 (45%) | 48 (48%) |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (19%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 (8%) |
| No dietary pattern | 2 (40%) | 0 | 0 | 7 (33%) | 4 (13%) | 6 (13%) | 7 (18%) | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| Positive statement | |||||||||
| Wholefoods / Ingredients you know | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 6 (29%) | 4 (13%) | 6 (13%) | 2 (5%) | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| It’s what’s on the inside that counts | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 (18%) | 0 | 0 |
| Better for everyone | 0 | 0 | 1 (25%) | 0 | 0 | 3 (6%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eat well | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (24%) | 5 (16%) | 1 (2%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clean | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (3%) |
| Natural / Naturally | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (19%) | 4 (13%) | 14 (29%) | 0 | 4 (10%) | 10 (10%) |
| Proper food | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1%) |
| Health Star Rating* | 0 | 3 (100%) | 1 (25%) | 0 | 13 (42%) | 25 (52%) | 0 | 24 (60%) | 65 (65%) |
| No positive statement | 3 (60%) | 0 | 3 (75%) | 6 (29%) | 12 (39%) | 20 (42%) | 33 (83%) | 12 (30%) | 26 (26%) |
| Highlighted ingredient | |||||||||
| Soy | 3 (60%) | 1 (33%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2%) |
| Pea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2%) |
| Vegie / Vegie full / Packed with veg | 2 (40%) | 0 | 3 (75%) | 7 (33%) | 12 (39%) | 18 (38%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 2 (2%) |
| Legumes / Grains | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 (38%) | 11 (35%) | 18 (38%) | 0 | 0 | 5 (5%) |
| No highlighted ingredients | 0 | 2 (67%) | 1 (25%) | 10 (48%) | 12 (39%) | 13 (27%) | 39 (98%) | 40 (100%) | 89 (89%) |
| Free-from statement | |||||||||
| Soy-free | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 (35%) | 9 (23%) | 7 (7%) |
| Dairy-free | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 (71%) | 11 (35%) | 9 (19%) | 3 (8%) | 0 | 6 (6%) |
| Lactose-free | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (14%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gluten-free (or wheat-free) | 1 (20%) | 1 (33%) | 0 | 6 (29%) | 15 (48%) | 16 (33%) | 0 | 8 (20%) | 8 (8%) |
| No MSG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 2 (2%) |
| No artificial flavors/Colors/Preservatives | 1 (20%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 (35%) | 16 (33%) | 20 (50%) | 11 (28%) | 18 (18%) |
| No antibiotics/Hormones/Chemicals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 4 (10%) | 0 |
| Egg-free | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No free-from statements | 3 (60%) | 2 (67%) | 4 (100%) | 6 (29%) | 11 (35%) | 21 (44%) | 18 (45%) | 19 (48%) | 63 (63%) |
| No other health-related claims | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |