Alternative plant-based beverages to milk. An Italian scientific study, published in Foods, examines the nutritional profiles of 330 products on the shelf. Comparison with cow’s milk. (1)
Plant-based beverages, a vibrant market
The market for plant-based alternative beverages to milk is continuously expanding. Globally, sales are estimated at more than US$38 billion, with an annual growth rate of more than 14 percent by 2024.
Italy is seeing tremendous growth in almond, hazelnut, oat and coconut drinks. With a stable presidium of the soy-based beverage, which in Europe as in North America is the leading alternative to milk, with sales of about US$7.3 billion.
Consumer choices in this product category are mostly related to health needs and veg choices. Namely:
– milk allergy or lactose intolerance, a condition estimated to affect 28 percent of the population in Europe, 64-70 percent in the Middle East and Asia. Albeit with wide margins of uncertainty about diagnoses,
– hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease, in relation to which it is often recommended to reduce saturated fat intakes,
– vegan, vegetarian diet or other ethical beliefs that involve the exclusion or reduction of foods of animal origin.
330 drinks on the shelf in Italy (and 15 online, outlawed)
The study by Italian researchers evaluated the nutritional profile of beverages, based on consumer information on the label under Reg. EU 1169/11. (2) A valid method also to remind us all of the usefulness of consulting nutrition statements, to understand the merits and flaws of various foods.
Samples were purchased from 14 large-scale retail outlets (Auchan, Bennet, Carrefour, Conad, Coop Italia, Crai, Despar, Esselunga, Il Gigante, Iper, Pam Panorama , Selex, Sidis) and 3 operators specializing in organic products (NaturaSì, Macrolibrarsi and Sorgente Natura).
The survey also used the ecommerce channel. And it was here that 15 products were discarded from the comparison, lacking mandatory information. ‘Incomplete images of all sides of the packaging, unclear images of nutritional data and/or list of ingredients’. Widespread violations of mandatory regulations that we have in turn reported on several occasions.
The nutritional profiles of plant-based beverages
The nutritional profiles of the vegetable beverages examined vary significantly, in energy value (kcal) and macronutrients. Mainly because of the vegetable matrices used: soybeans (25 percent of the sample), rice (22 percent), oats (12 percent), almonds (10 percent), blends (18 percent), coconut, hazelnuts, spelt, walnuts, cashews (grouped as ‘other,’ 13 percent).
Comparison of nutritional values shows the following:
– total carbohydrates are higher in rice and oat products,
– Total fat is higher in beverages derived from soybean and almond,
– protein is significantly higher in soy beverages, which contain on average three times as much protein as the others,
– salt is generally minimized, with negligible differences between the products compared.
The data from the examination of the 330 products available in Italy are very similar to those found in other studies of the German, Spanish and Indian markets. In contrast, fat and total carbohydrates are higher in vegetable beverages marketed in Canada and the US.
The inconsistency of nutrition claims
The two most popular nutrition claims-‘no added sugar‘ and‘source of calcium‘-appear on 87 percent of the products surveyed. But they do not correspond to better nutritional quality of the beverage.
In particular, beverages labeled‘no added sugar‘ were similar to the others in sugar contents, with an average total carbohydrate value higher than the others.
Products accompanied by the claim ‘source of calcium’ show lower energy, total carbohydrate and sugar values than the others. In 88% of cases, the added calcium is 120 mg/100 ml, exactly as much as cow’s milk contains. A correspondence that seems to want to ascribe to plant-based beverages the role of substitute food. But nevertheless it does not bridge the gap with cow’s milk, as we shall see.
Health claims
The indication of health benefits appears in 16 percent of the sample. The most frequent claims include the role of calcium and vitamin D for bone health and that of vitamins B2, B3 for reducing fatigue and tiredness.
The nutritional profile-compared with beverages without health claims-is generally slightly better. For lower energy value (due to lower total carbohydrates and sugars) and higher protein contents.
Valid alternative to milk? A false myth
Considering plant-based beverages a viable alternative to milk is erroneous, according to the researchers. Beyond the vague aesthetic similarity, the nutritional properties are very different. So much so that there are fears of possible nutrient and micronutrient deficiencies in those who simply consume the ‘alternatives,’ without otherwise supplementing their diets.
The average protein content of cow’s milk is about 3.5 g/100 ml. The vegetable drinks analyzed rarely achieve a protein value higher than 1 g/100 ml. With the exception of soybean, which averages 3.3 g/100 ml. In any case, the researchers point out, the biological quality of plant-derived proteins is inferior to animal proteins because they do not contain all the essential amino acids. (3) Of all the beverages examined, moreover, organic beverages (74 percent of the sample) are found to contain about one-fourth as much protein (and twice as much total carbohydrates and sugars) as comparable conventional beverages.
Calcium, phosphorus, iodine
Other nutritional differences between milk and vegetable beverages concern micronutrients, which are present in smaller and/or less assimilable amounts. The main one is calcium, of which milk (along with dairy products) is the main source in the diet, due to its 120 mg/100 ml, present in a highly bioavailable form.
In contrast, this important micronutrient is less assimilable with vegetable beverages, due to the natural presence of antinutrients (e.g., “I’m not a plant-based beverage. phytates, oxalates, etc.).
Replacing cow’s milk with plant-based drinks could pose public health risks, researchers note. (4) Specifically taking into account the average daily calcium intakes in the Italian population, 792 mg in men and 697 mg in women. Against nutritional reference values of 1000 mg for men and women (age ≥ 18 years) and up to 1200 mg for postmenopausal women (age ≥ 60 years).
Further difference is that milk is good source of phosphorus (which binds calcium to milk caseins). And of iodine, a trace element essential for thyroid hormone synthesis, present instead in low amounts in soy, rice, oats, and almond drinks, subject to any additions.
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) Angelino, D.; Rosi, A.; Vici, G.; Dello Russo, M.; Pellegrini, N.; Martini, D.; on behalf of the SINU Young Working Group. Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Drinks Sold in Italy: The Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Study. Foods 2020, 9, 682. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9050682 The work is part of the FLIP(Food Labelling of Italian Products) study, which aims to systematically study the overall quality of pre-packaged foods of the main food groups and related categories sold in the Italian market
(2) For a review of the information that is mandatory on food labels, including in distance sales, see the free ebook 1169 Penalties. Reg. EU 1169/11. Food news, inspections and penalties, at https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/libri/1169-pene-e-book-gratuito-su-delitti-e-sanzioni-nel-food
(3) DIAAS value indicates protein digestibility. This parameter in milk is 100% for all essential amino acids. falls instead to 90 percent in soy, in which essential amino acids such as methionine are lacking, and to 50 percent for all other plant protein sources
(4) On the nutritional value of milk, see also the study in The Lancet, which found that whole milk intake is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
