Comparison of nutritional composition between plant-based drinks and cow's milk

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Consumer Health

Background:

• Declining liquid milk consumption in Western countries.
• Increasing market presence of plant-based beverages as milk substitutes.
• Need for comparative nutritional analysis of milk alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the nutritional composition and protein quality of plant-based drinks with cow's milk.
• To assess energy, nutrient intake, and residue loads in milk alternatives.
• To evaluate the suitability of plant-based drinks as milk substitutes.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of 27 plant-based drinks and 2 milk samples.
• Assessment of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, and mineral content.
• Calculation of energy and nutrient intakes, and digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS).

Main Results:

• Cow's milk generally contained higher levels of energy, fat, carbohydrates, and several vitamins and minerals compared to most plant-based drinks.
• Soy drinks showed higher protein content than other plant-based options but were still lower than cow's milk.
• Most plant-based alternatives (except soy) had very low protein content (≤1%) and inferior protein quality (DIAAS) compared to cow's milk.
• Residue analysis for glyphosate, AMPA, and arsenic was also conducted.

Conclusions:

• Analyzed plant-based drinks are not nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk, even with fortification.
• Low protein content and quality in most alternatives limit their role as direct milk substitutes.
• Complete replacement of milk may lead to nutrient deficiencies without compensatory dietary changes.
• Optimization of fortification in plant-based beverages is recommended.