The nutritional value of the majority of plant-based milk alternatives is not equal to cow’s milk, according to a study carried out by US researchers.
The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Minnesota.
It examined the nutritional content of over 200 plant-based milk alternative products being sold in the US in 2023, significantly more than have been included in similar studies up to now.
The findings indicated that only 12% of the products studied had levels of calcium, vitamin D, and protein comparable to cow’s milk.
The findings were presented at Nutrition 2023 – the annual conference of the American Society for Nutrition, which was held last week in Boston, Massachusetts – by Prof. Abigail Johnson, assistant professor and director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.
Prof. Johnson commented: “Our results provide evidence that many plant-based milk alternatives are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk.”
Studying milk alternatives
The study included nutrition information labels and ingredient information for 233 plant-based milk alternative products, across 23 manufacturers.
For each product, the researchers used a nutrient calculation programme to estimate nutritional value.
The products were grouped according to their plant constituent, such as almond, oat, or soya, with the products in each group being compared to each other and to cow’s milk.
Just 28 of the 233 products were found to have similar or higher levels of calcium, vitamin D, and protein compared to dairy milk.
Almost two thirds of the products included in the study were made from almonds, oats, or soya.
The study found that 76% of the oat-based products, 69% of the soya-based products, and 66% of the almond-based products were fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
For protein, the median content across all studied products was 2g/240ml of liquid, less than the 8g/240ml found in cow’s milk, with a wide variation in protein content also noted, ranging from 0g/240ml to 12g/240ml.
Only 16% of the products (38 out of 233) had a protein level greater than or equal to the amount of protein found in cow’s milk.
Prof. Johnson commented: “Our findings point to a need to ensure that consumers are aware that many plant-based milk alternative products in the marketplace today are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk.
“Product labelling requirements and dietary guidance to the public are among the approaches that may be helpful in alerting and educating consumers,” she added.
The researchers involved in the study are planning to continue their research in this area in relation to other nutrients.
