Like milk, but made for humans
Consumers choice these days is not limited to traditional bovine milk, shelf’s are loaded with milk derived from plant sources. Visit your local supermarket and you will find a refrigerated aisle overflowing with choice: almond milk, hazelnut milk, peanut, tiger nut, walnut, cashew – and that’s just the nuts. Coconut, hemp, spelt, quinoa, pea – you name it, all types of milk sourced from different things are abound in the shelves.
Till 2008, milk from alternate sources was limited to traditional Soy milk. What a dramatic change in the last ten years, it has been blinking your eye and you see a whole new industry has taken shape. A beautiful story has been the rise of Oatley, Swedish plant milk, which has grown from the depths of obscurity in 2016 to a major brand Worldwide in the last five years with demand growing by more than 1250%.
Milk from plant are considered carbon positive , sourced with no cruelty to animals and good for lactose intolerant people. The worldwide sale of these milk has grown more than USD 25 Billion from the base of USD 10 billion in the year 2010.Meanwhile sale of cow milk in USA has come down by 15% in last five years .The market for plant based milk alternatives is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15 % in next five years on conservative estimates.
The increasing sales of plant-based milk substitutes depend on popular trends like veganism and concern for animal and environmental prosperity reflected in food blogs and social media. The veganism trend has jumped 360% in ten years all over Europe and USA.
Nestlé is launching Wunda, a new pea-based beverage that is ‘epic in everything’ that you would otherwise use milk for. That means you can drink it straight, pour over cereal, use in hot beverages, froth it, cook with it and much more.
Milk from bovines is being considered as less healthy from the consumers of plant milk .Its reputation as a healthy food is under threat due to anxieties about antibodies being used by animals ,animal cruelty and the environment impact plus major issue of lactose intolerance found in large number of consumers.
To converts, almond and oat milk are the next big thing in a paradigm shift towards a more conscious, sustainable way of living. To critics, they’re little more than cleverly marketed nut juice with additives – a symptom of everything that’s wrong with modern food culture. And so a battle has emerged, between an industry trying to replace something it says we don’t need in the first place, and dairy, a business that for a century sold itself as the foundation of a healthy diet, while ignoring the fact that most of the world does just fine without it.
How Do Plant-Based Milk Compare to Cow’s Milk?
Dairy milk is often considered as source important nutrients Proteins , short and medium chain fatty acids ,Vitamin D , calcium and phosphorus .Plant based milks are very low in these nutrients hence a conscious choice is to be made while choosing the milk or going for alternative milk.
- Soy milk contains protein in an amount comparable to cow’s milk (8 g per 240 ml). By contrast, almond milk – one of the most popular non-dairy options among consumers – only contains 1 g of protein per 240 ml.
- Important is not only the amount of protein but also the quality of protein. The quality of protein is determined by the composition of the amino acids, digestibility, bioavailability . Protein from animal sources is generally of higher quality than plant-based protein due to its more complete range of amino acids. Bovine milk contains both whey and casein proteins, which have the high biological value given their usability by the body.
- In plant-based milk the calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D are fortified and some manufacturer is adding more what is available in cow milk but its usability by the body is still unknown.
- Information from any recognized body on the micronutrients and minerals like phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin E, vitamin K, and other micronutrients are often missing from plant milk are missing or has not been detailed as in the case of bovine milk.
- Many sweetened and/or flavoured non-dairy milk contains up to 20 g of sugar, compared to 12.5 g of naturally occurring lactose in 2% cow’s milk.
- Thickening agents are being added in the non-dairy milk like carrageenan, lecithin and other gums.
Types of Plant based Milk
Plant-based milk alternatives are fluids that results from breakdown (size reduction) of plant material (cereals, legumes oilseeds, nuts) extracted in water.
Further homogenisation of fluids, results in particle size distribution in range of 5–20 µm which imitates cow’s milk in appearance and consistency.
The common steps in the production of all plant milk are wet milling, filtration, the addition of ingredients, sterilization, homogenization, aseptic packaging, and cold storage. Gums are used to improving stability, and salt and sweeteners are used for the development of sensory properties
A general classification of the plant-based/vegetable milk alternatives into five Categories is as follows:
| Milk alternative | Plant type |
| Cereal based | Rice Milk Oat Milk |
| Legume Based | Soy milk Pea Milk |
| Vegetable based | Potato Milk |
| Seed based | Flax Milk Hemp Milk |
| Nut Based | Almond Milk Cashew Milk Coconut Milk |
Soy Milk
Soy milk was the original and oldest replacement of bovine milk .Made by soaking, crushing, cooking, and straining soybeans, it is the only milk alternative that naturally contains the same amount of protein as a cup of cow’s milk – 8 grams – along with omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. Most manufacturers also fortify soy milk with vitamins A, D, B12, and calcium. In addition, soy milk can be a good source of manganese and magnesium.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is made from ground almonds and water. It is quickly gaining in popularity, especially among those avoiding soy due to allergies . It is perhaps best known for being low in calories, typically between 30 and 50 per 240 ml.
Nut milks generally highly diluted with water. While this allows them to be relatively lower in calories, this also means that they supply minimal amounts of the nutrients typically found in nuts, including protein, manganese, magnesium, and copper.
A major drawback of almond milk is that the protein content from the almonds is strained out of the milk along with the pulp; hence, it contains very little protein – usually only 1 g per 240 ml, compared to 8 g in cow’s milk.
Rice Milk
There are not many advantages to rice milk over other plant-based milks. It is derived from boiled brown rice and brown rice starch. Rice milk has no fibre and a thin
consistency. It has considerably less protein than cow’s milk (only 1 g per 240 ml) and a very small amount of natural calcium, though most brands are calcium-fortified and enriched with vitamins A, D, and B12. It is also low in fat; however, some manufacturers do add vegetable oil as an emulsifier and stabilizer.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is made from oat groats (oats that have been cleaned, toasted, and hulled), water, and other grains and beans, such as triticale, barley, brown rice, and soybeans. It has a mild flavour and is slightly sweet. Its consistency is similar to that of 1% or skim milk.
Oat milk is low in overall calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It is higher in fibre than other milk alternatives, with 2 g per cup or sometimes more, depending on whether oat bran has been added. It also contains iron, vitamin E, and folic acid. In addition, it offers 4 g of protein per 240 ml, which is relatively higher than most other plant milk. At the same time, naturally occurring sugars give this beverage a higher carbohydrate content.
Coconut Milk
Whether concentrated or diluted, coconut milk offers medium-chain triglycerides and a relatively high amount of potassium. If fortified, it can serve as a good source of vitamin D and can also supply up to 50% more calcium than dairy milk.
Generally same is not used for drinking purposes but for the Asian cuisine. However some manufacturers are now offering “coconut milk beverage,” which
is essentially coconut milk that has been diluted with water, to appeal to consumers who seek to drink it more regularly. While this type of diluted coconut milk has far fewer calories and much less fat, it also has very little protein – less than 1 g per 240 ml.
Hemp Milk
Hulled seeds of the industrial hemp plant, which includes varieties of Cannabis sativa that are low in the psychotropic substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are source of Hemp milk.
Hemp milk is considered ideal for people who cannot consume gluten, nuts, and/or soy. It can also be a viable option for those who are on a starch-limited diet and must avoid oligosaccharides.
Hemp milk naturally contains more protein than other non-dairy alternatives, but at 2-3 g per 240 ml, it is still not a particularly good source.
It does offer a three-to-one ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids, including around 1,000 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. Other nutrients include magnesium and phytosterols, as well as some calcium, fibre, iron, and potassium.
Pea Milk
Pea milk is one of the newer dairy-free milk alternatives . Made from yellow field peas, this beverage is poised to gain more popularity, owing largely to its naturally high protein content (at least 7 g per 240 ml).
During manufacturing, yellow peas are milled into flour, which is then processed to separate the protein content from the fibre and starch. The protein is then further purified and blended together with water and other ingredients. This is a departure from most nut-based milks, in which the protein content is removed and never reintroduced.
Pea milk is fortified to contain 150% more calcium than cow’s milk. Moreover, its taste and consistency is actually very close to cow’s milk. An added benefit: yellow peas are easy and inexpensive to grow, so pea milk carries a much lower water footprint than almond milk and a much smaller carbon footprint than cow’s milk.
Cashew Milk
It is made by blending water-soaked cashews with water. Pulp is strained away, most of the protein content and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals in cashews ends up being lost. With only 60 calories per cup and no saturated fat or cholesterol, unsweetened cashew milk is often considered a good option for those looking for a
creamier alternative to almond milk without the fat and calories of canned coconut milk.
Flax Milk
It is made commercially by combining cold-pressed flax oil with water, thickeners, and emulsifiers. Flax milk has 1,200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) per 240 ml. It is also fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, though not to the same degree as some other non-dairy alternatives.
Potato Milk
This is another newcomer to the non-dairy milk scene. Potato milk is high in carbohydrates but low in protein, though it is usually fortified with calcium and vitamins. It is also a good option for those who may have a soy or nut allergy.
In addition to providing as much calcium as cow’s milk, potato milk provides more iron than many other non-dairy alternatives.
Nutritional Comparison of selected plant-based milk alternatives
| Type of Milk (per serving 240 ml) | calories (Gms) | Protein (Gms) | Fat (G) | Carbohydrates (G) | Dietary Fibre (G) | Calcium (% DV mg) | Iron( %DV) | Vitamin (%DV) |
| Cow Milk | 168 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 338 mg | 1.25 µg | 168 µg | |
| Soy Milk | 80 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 10 | |
| Rice Milk | 130 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 30 | 6 | 10 |
| Oat Milk | 80 | 2.5 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 10 |
| Almond Milk | 40 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 10 |
| Coconut Milk | 80 | <1 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 4 | 10 |
| Hemp Milk | 70 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 6 | 10 |
| Pea Milk | 101 | 8 | 4.51 | 24 | 0 | 451 | 2.69 | 10 |
Conclusion
The nutritional profile of each type of “milk” depends not only on the plant source, but also the manufacturing process and the degree of fortification.
Besides taste and texture, protein and added sugars are perhaps the most widely variable attributes among plant-based milks. Consumer awareness, therefore,
is important when plant-based substitutes are used to fully replace cow’s milk in the diet.
Technological issues needs to be addressed in order to prepare a plant based milk alternative comparable to that of cow’s milk in respect to appearance, taste, flavour, stability and nutritive value.