The Choices International Foundation updated its global nutrient profiling system for 2025, establishing protein and micronutrient thresholds for plant-based meat and dairy alternatives while downgrading products containing non-sugar sweeteners. The revised criteria now require plant alternatives to meet specific nutritional equivalence standards based on protein content and key micronutrients, addressing growing market confusion about plant product quality. This represents a significant shift in how regulatory bodies evaluate alternative proteins, moving beyond simple ingredient swaps to nutritional adequacy assessments. The simultaneous penalty for non-sugar sweeteners contradicts recent WHO guidance that positioned these compounds as preferable to sugar, highlighting ongoing scientific uncertainty about artificial sweeteners' long-term health impacts. For health-conscious consumers, these changes signal that not all plant-based products deliver equivalent nutrition to conventional animal products, particularly regarding bioavailable protein and vitamin B12, iron, and zinc content. The framework's global adoption could standardize how plant alternatives are marketed and labeled worldwide, potentially forcing manufacturers to fortify products or reformulate to meet nutritional benchmarks rather than relying solely on ethical or environmental positioning.