Carboxymethyl Lysine Content in Plant-Based Meat Products and Its Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish

To investigate the distribution of carboxymethyllysine (CML) in plant-based meat products and its toxic effects on zebrafish larvae, five representative commercially available plant-based meat products were selected. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to analyze the CML content in these products and compare it with those of other product types. Zebrafish were used as a biological model to evaluate the acute embryonic toxicity and developmental toxicity of exogenous CML on zebrafish larvae. Results indicated CML concentrations in plant-based meat products ranged from 0.39 (prepared products and smoked and cooked products) to 35.36 mg/kg (deep-fried products), comparable to those of instant noodles, cereal products, and certain meat products. The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of CML at 96 hours post-fertilization (hpf) was 864.521 mg/L; it did not affect the survival of zebrafish embryos at concentrations ≤ 250 mg/L nor the hatching rate at concentrations ≤ 62.5 mg/L. CML concentrations ≥ 125 mg/L induced developmental malformations in zebrafish larvae. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of CML via plant-based meat consumption was assessed, indicating that CML levels were far below the threshold for causing developmental toxicity to zebrafish. These findings provide support for assessing the potential food safety of CML in plant-based meat and evaluating dietary exposure to this compound.