Beyond Meat Inc. (NASDAQ:BYNDHTTPS, NASDAQ:BYND) shares are trading lower Tuesday afternoon after a New York Post article mentioned vegan meats while discussing a study linking processed foods to increased risk of heart disease.

What To Know: The study, conducted by researchers from the University of São Paulo and Imperial College London, analyzed the diets of over 118,000 Brits aged 40 to 69. The findings suggested that while plant-based diets consisting of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes promote heart health, ultra-processed vegan foods (UPFs) can increase heart disease-related deaths.

Ultra-processed foods, which include packaged goods, drinks, cereals and ready-to-eat products containing additives, were found to be high in sugar, saturated fat and lacking in essential vitamins and fiber.

The study noted a 12% increase in heart disease-related deaths for every 10% rise in the consumption of UPFs. Conversely, a similar increase in whole plant-based foods reduced the risk of heart-related death by 20%.

"While ultra-processed foods are often marketed as healthy foods, this large study suggests that plant-based ultra-processed foods do not seem to have protective health effects and are linked to poor health outcomes," said study co-author Dr. Eszter Vamos, according to the article.

What Else: Several other brands, including mega food producers known for their ultra-processed offerings, such as PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP), Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC), Nestlé (OTC:NSRGY) and Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) are among the key players in the industry. The broader context of these industry giants underscores the potential impact of the study findings on the entire category of ultra-processed foods.

BYND Price Action: Beyond Meat shares were down by 0.60%, at $7.13 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro.

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