Portugal-based shoppers choosing plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy, and fish are unknowingly consuming twice as many food additives as their counterparts who stick to conventional animal products, according to a study published this month in the journal "Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A." The research, which analyzed 71 pairs of comparable products from UK supermarkets, raises fresh questions about the nutritional trade-offs embedded in the shift toward vegetarian and vegan diets—a trend accelerating across Portugal and the broader European market.
Why This Matters
• Double the additives: Plant-based products contained 199 food additives versus 100 in their animal-origin equivalents, with 39 E-numbers compared to 31.
• Ingredient complexity: Vegetarian alternatives packed 1,566 total ingredients, while conventional products listed 1,110.
• Health impact unclear: More additives don't automatically mean greater risk, but limited data exists on cumulative exposure to these substances over time.
The Additive Gap: What the Numbers Reveal
Researchers from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London conducted the analysis in October 2025, comparing plant-based substitutes with their animal-origin counterparts across dairy, meat, and seafood categories. The disparity was most pronounced in these three sectors, where manufacturers rely heavily on thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and colorants to replicate the texture, flavor, and visual appeal of traditional products.
Common additives in vegetarian products include guar gum, xanthan gum, gellan gum, and locust bean gum for creaminess, particularly in plant-based milks with low concentrations of the base ingredient, such as almond or coconut. Sunflower and soy lecithin serve as emulsifiers to blend oil and water phases, while lactic acid (INS 270) and citrates regulate acidity. Natural colorants derived from beetroot and turmeric mimic the appearance of animal products, and starches from corn and tapioca add body and consistency.
By contrast, animal products typically use nitrates, nitrites, and sodium erythorbate as preservatives and antioxidants, with stabilizers to prevent separation in dairy items. The fundamental difference lies not in regulatory approval—all additives in both categories meet European Union safety standards—but in the sheer volume and variety required to engineer plant-based alternatives that satisfy consumer expectations shaped by decades of eating animal products.
What This Means for Residents
For Portuguese consumers navigating supermarket aisles, the study serves as a reminder that "plant-based" does not automatically equate to "minimally processed." Joseph Whittaker, one of the study's authors, emphasized that the findings cannot be generalized to all plant-based foods, as only a specific range of substitutes was examined. Whole foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables remain nutritionally superior to ultra-processed alternatives, regardless of whether those alternatives are vegan or conventional.
The health implications of consuming high-additive vegetarian products are nuanced. While EU-approved additives undergo rigorous safety assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), research on cumulative exposure—the combined effect of consuming multiple additives across different foods over time—remains scarce. Some additives have raised specific concerns: carrageenan has been linked to gastrointestinal inflammation, maltodextrin can spike blood sugar levels and disrupt gut microbiota, and cellulose and guar gum have shown potential for intestinal inflammation in animal studies.
More broadly, ultra-processed foods—whether plant- or animal-based—are associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. One study indicated a 12% increase in cardiovascular mortality linked to ultra-processed plant-based foods, underscoring that the source of calories matters less than the degree of processing.
Regulatory Framework in Portugal and the EU
Portugal adheres to the EU's comprehensive food additive regulations, primarily governed by Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008, which lists approved additives and their usage conditions, and Regulation (EU) No. 231/2012, which defines purity specifications. In January 2026, the European Commission published Regulations (EU) 2026/189 and 2026/196, updating maximum permitted levels, revoking certain uses (such as guar gum in some infant formulas), and revising purity criteria for additives like carrageenan, locust bean flour, gum arabic, and pectins. Companies must verify product compliance by deadlines ranging from August 2026 to February 2028.
The EFSA released new guidance in January 2026 establishing data requirements for additive authorization applications, reflecting advances in toxicology and exposure assessment. All additives must be listed on product labels by functional class (e.g., "Preservative") followed by their specific name or E-number (e.g., "E 100 (curcumin)").
While no separate list of additives exists exclusively for vegetarian or vegan foods, the origin of the additive becomes critical for product labeling. Vegan products cannot contain any animal-derived ingredients, including additives such as carmine (E 120), derived from cochineal insects, or shellac (E 904), from insect secretions. Vegetarian products may permit additives from milk, eggs, honey, beeswax, or lanolin. However, the EU has not yet adopted a harmonized legal definition of "vegetarian" or "vegan" for labeling purposes, despite requirements under Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 to do so.
Expert Recommendations: Navigating the Plant-Based Aisle
Nutrition specialists advise Portugal-based consumers to prioritize whole, minimally processed plant foods over ultra-processed substitutes. Preparing meals at home with natural ingredients—beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, whole grains—avoids the additive overload found in many commercial alternatives. When convenience dictates the purchase of ready-made vegetarian products, reading labels becomes essential: an ingredient list dominated by unfamiliar substances or E-numbers signals heavy processing.
Well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets centered on whole foods provide all necessary nutrients and offer cardiovascular benefits, but replacing animal products with ultra-processed plant-based alternatives rich in salt, sugar, unhealthy fats, and additives negates these advantages. Some processed plant foods fortified with vitamins and minerals can support nutritional balance, but they should be chosen carefully based on overall composition rather than marketing claims.
Consumer demand for clean-label products—those with fewer additives and recognizable ingredients—is growing. In Brazil, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) updated food additive regulations in April 2026 with Normative Instruction No. 432/2026, reflecting global momentum toward transparency and stricter criteria for authorized substances. Portugal, through its adherence to EU directives, is part of this broader shift, with annual updates to additive monitoring priorities mandated under Recommendation (EU) 2023/965.
The Bottom Line for Shoppers
The study does not argue that vegetarian or vegan diets are inherently unhealthy, nor does it suggest that all additives pose danger. Rather, it highlights a complexity often obscured by green packaging and ethical marketing: replicating the sensory qualities of animal products in plant-based form requires significant industrial intervention. For residents of Portugal committed to reducing meat and dairy consumption—whether for environmental, ethical, or health reasons—the lesson is straightforward: scrutinize the label, favor whole foods, and cook from scratch whenever possible. The health benefits of a plant-based diet are well-documented, but they hinge on choosing real plants over engineered imitations.
