milk alternatives lion). In a Mintel survey (3), US consumers were asked what milks they had consumed in the last three-month period. Responses were that 71 percent had consumed cows’ milk, but plant milks were also a surprisingly frequent choice: almond milk (30 percent), soy milk (23 percent), rice milk (14 percent) and about 10 percent each for seed milks, oat milks and cashew milks. The primary reason given by US consumers for drinking non-dairy milk was the belief that it was generally more nutritious. Additionally, consumers enjoyed the taste of these products and believed them to be a good source of protein. Specific reasons given for choices of non-dairy milks were also lactose sensitivity or other intolerance to dairy products, and concerns about the use of growth hormones in dairy milk (rBST and/or rBGH - the use of bovine somatotropin to increase milk yield and bovine growth hormone to increase muscle is permitted and declared as safe in the US, but is not permitted in the UK or any other EU country). Another report on US consumer attitudes supports the strong growth of non-dairy milks (5). But there are winners and losers in the
year to 2014: in decline are soya and rice milk, whereas there is strong growth for coconut and especially almond milk. The dairy industry has not been shy in countering anti-cow claims by plant milk enthusiasts. Cows’ milk is generally higher in protein than some plant milks and possible muscle-building benefits from the higher leucine levels in whey protein are of great interest to the sports and body sculpture communities. Further, the naturalness of milk is emphasised: no fortification or ‘additives’ are needed to embellish this food. While the cow must plead guilty to being a very major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental finger-pointing has suddenly hit the halo held by almond milk: claims that one gallon of water is needed to produce one almond in the parched, über-dry West Coast of the US has caused discerning Californian consumers further confusion over which is the best milk. Consumers can ask the questions, journalists and tweeters can debate the issues and sciency-dietitians can, as ever, offer pragmatic answers to this and other questions of what-is-best food choice.
* The term ‘milk’ is protected, and defined by the EU milk marketing standards as, ‘produce of milking one or more farmed animals’. Companies producing plant-sourced mock-milks are careful not to use the term ‘milk’ on product labelling, and the use of the word in this article is just lazy-writeritis: it does not imply disregard for EU definitions or dairy interests. ** Alpro have launched a ‘soya +1’ drink that has been developed ‘especially for little ones’. In comparison to the Alpro original soya drink, the +1 product contains more energy and fat and carbohydrate (from maltodextrin), but slightly less sugars and fibre. The +1 product also contains iron and iodine and twice the levels of vitamin D. It is not suitable as a replacement for breast milk or infant formula under the age of one year. References 1 Le Louer B, Lemale J, Garvette K, Orzechowski C, Chalvon A, Girardet JP, Tounain P (2014) Severe nutritional deficiencies in young infants with inappropriate plant milk consumption. Arch Pediatr 21, 5, 483-8 2 Mintel report (June, 2014) UK: Dairy drinks, milk and cream 3 Mintel report (April 2015) US: Dairy and non-dairy milk: spotlight on non-dairy 4 www.dairyco.org.uk (13.2.15) quoting statistics from Kantar Worldpanel 5 Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) 2015. Special Diet Report; infographic ‘nuts for non-dairy’
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NHDmag.com June 2015 - Issue 105
NHDmag.com