Meat vs. meat alternatives: weighing up the pros and cons based on their sustainability and human health.

As the human population continues to grow, the incidence of malnutrition goes in the opposite way. Meat is a source of high-quality potreins and essential trace elements such as vitamins and minerals. In the last years, however, meat and meat products have increasingly been perceived in a negative way by several consumers due to the environmental and ethical burden related to the animal farming. Meat alternatives are emerging products born to replace their animal counterparts therefore lowering their impact on the environment and animal welfare. These alternatives are seen as the most prominent tool to end diet-related diseases as well as mitigate animal farming footprint. Due to new studies, however, the doubts related to these novel products are emerging, particularly to their effects on human health and their overall sustainability. The thesis aims to highlight this knowledge gap as well as try to understand if meat alternatives can be part of the future protein landscape that will help to solve these current issues.