PLANT-BASED MILK ALTERNATIVES: RISING TREND AND NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Yaman Hulya 
Published: June 2024

With the growing emphasis on health, ethical values, and sustainability, consumers have shifted towards reducing their consumption of animal-based food products and showing a tendency for plant-based alternatives. The recent coronavirus pandemic has further heightened consumer interest in novel and diverse products. Consequently, the food industry has responded by developing innovative plant-based beverages that closely imitate physicochemical and sensory properties of animal sources milk. The origins of plant-based milk alternatives, which continue to enjoy popularity today, can be traced back to ancient Greece. Plant-based milk alternatives are particularly prevalent in regions where lactose intolerance is more common, such as parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, gradually replacing animal-derived milk. The rising popularity of plant-based milk alternatives can be attributed to several factors, including lactose intolerance, milk allergies in infants, veganism, concerns about animal welfare, the use of antibiotics and hormones in dairy animals, and the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Plants are widely recognized for their nutraceutical and functional food properties, owing to their rich mineral and vitamin content, antioxidants, dietary fibers, and other health-promoting components. Although fortification can partially address mineral and vitamin deficiencies in plant-based milk alternatives, it is significant that these alternatives fall short in terms of other essential nutrients, such as protein. Animal milk offers a superior protein and calcium profile compared to plant-based milk. While soy milk is considered a protein equivalent to animal milk, it only provides one-fifth of the calcium content. Moreover, even if the protein quantity is the same, the composition of amino acids in the protein affects the body's utilization rate. Additionally, plant-based milk alternatives lack other crucial nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin E, iodine, and folic acid than animal milk. On the other hand, animal proteins exhibit higher digestibility and bioavailability compared to plant proteins. Thus, plant-based milk alternatives generally have lower protein, mineral, and vitamin content than animal milk, despite providing the same amount of protein. Furthermore, the bioavailability of these nutrients in plant-based alternatives is lower than that in animal milk. Advocates of plant-based milk alternatives argue that these products offer several advantages over animal milk, such as reduced environmental impact, lower contribution to global warming, lower water usage in production, and higher overall nutritional value. However, the deficiencies in protein content and variable nutritional composition of plant-based milk, coupled with higher prices and concerns regarding the use of fillers and added sugars, contribute to consumer confusion and affect their preference for plant-based products. From a commercial standpoint, several factors contribute to the market growth of plant-based milk alternatives. These include the trend of consumers seeking natural products, increased interest in herbal and traditional products, lactose intolerance, the popularity of plant-based alternatives among the younger Generation Z, acceptance of natural products by Generation Y, and easy access to these products through e-commerce and other sales channels.