Plant-Protein Fortification of Cereal Foods: Market Insights and Nutritional Implications for the Dietary Exposome

Plant proteins can meet dietary needs when properly combined, but individuals who avoid legumes, tofu, or tempeh may struggle to maintain adequate protein intake. Some may turn to ultraprocessed foods, reducing their intake of fiber-rich, micronutrient-dense protein sources and increasing exposure to additives and processing-derived contaminants. These factors can disrupt the nutritional exposome, referring to the totality of dietary exposure that an individual faces throughout life. To evaluate whether the food industry addresses these issues, we analyzed the nutrition labels of 240 protein-fortified bread and pasta products from 29 countries across diverse geographic regions. Although protein fortification can improve amino acid balance, increase dietary fiber, lower glycemic response, and increase satiety, its potential is limited by the excessive reliance on functional but lysine-poor gluten, the presence of antinutritional factors, and technological, economic, or cultural barriers to incorporating more diverse plant-protein sources. Strategic ingredient blending, precision processing, and AI-assisted formulation tools are new tools poised to help produce nutritionally balanced, safe, and sustainable cereal products aligned with plant-forward diets.