Research

Milking it

Study finds milk substitutes have high costs and low natural nutritional benefits

Anew study carried out by Riddet Institute scientists from Massey University in Palmerston North has found that plantbased beverages are not only expensive, they provide only a small fraction of the nutritional goodness of cow’s milk.

The study, published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal last month, assessed the nutritional profiles of a range of plant-based beverages, such as soy, oat, coconut, almond or rice drinks, and compared them to standard bovine milk. Researchers collected 103 plant-based products from supermarkets in Palmerston North.

The drinks were found to have much lower quantities of the 20 nutrients measured, such as calcium and protein, and were significantly more costly than cow’s milk.

One of the study’s authors, Riddet Institute Professor of Nutritional Sciences Warren McNabb, says plantbased beverages are often marketed as alternatives to ruminant milks such as cow’s milk, and consumers may believe they are nutritionally interchangeable.

He says the new research demonstrated they are not the same and in fact it is “nutritionally risky” for consumers with high nutrient demands – like pregnant women and young children – to replace cow’s milk with plant-based products.

“Milk as a food supplies 49% of the world’s calcium,” McNabb says.

“It’s one of the most important things about milk.”

The independent study first surveyed the prices and nutrition labels of the products and then nutritional content was analysed in an external accredited laboratory. Selected almond, coconut, oat, rice and soy products were tested for their macronutrient and mineral content.

“One of the researchers noticed that on storage you get a really thick layer of semisolids on the bottom and then a watery layer on the top. He wondered what happened to the distribution of nutrients with sedimentation.”

Further tests were done before and after shaking the products, and it was found that many nutrients, like protein and calcium, remain in the sediment in the plantbased beverages if you do not shake the product before consuming. This was not the case for cow’s milk.

The protein content of cow’s milk is in the range of 3.3g-3.9g per 100g and McNabb says only the soy drink had a comparable content to cow’s milk, with all other plant-based beverages containing less than 1.1g protein per 100 ml on average.

Most plant products were ultra-processed and fortified with calcium and minerals with additives like sugar, fats, hydrogenated oils,

“They are completely different foods. If you want to use alternatives, do so, but do not consume them with the belief that they are nutritionally similar substitutes for cow’s milk.” Warren McNabb

The study conducted by Riddet Institute scientists shows that plant-based milk substitutes are not only expensive, they have just a fraction of the nutritional value of bovine milk.

Riddet Institute Professor of Nutritional Sciences Warren McNabb has been part of a team researching the nutritional properties of plant-based milk substitutes. Their study has been published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal.

hydrolysed proteins, flavours or thickeners. Oat and almond beverages contained as little as the equivalent of half a cup of oats or six almonds in 250g of product.

The plant-based beverages were often promoted as having no added sugar, but McNabb says milk also does not have added sugar.

“Lactose (in milk) is also poorly converted to glucose in the body which means milk is quite low in what we commonly call ‘sugar’.”

He says plant-based beverages have plant equivalents to “sugar” that do convert to glucose in the body.

“And that is why plantbased beverages often have a natural sweetness and don’t need added sugar. But they cannot be considered low in sugar.”

McNabb says the argument for the alternatives being more environmentally sustainable also do not stack up when considered in the light of how much product would need to be consumed to achieve the same nutritional benefits as conventional milk. With some plant-based beverages you would need to have 18 serves to get the same amount of protein, for example, as a single serve of milk. This comes at a much higher cost to the environment – and the wallet.

But it was not all bad news for the alternatives. McNabb says plant-based beverages do supply some nutrients that milk does not, such as fibre.

“Our final conclusion was the plant-based beverages and bovine milk were not nutritionally similar in any way. They are completely different foods. If you want to use alternatives, do so, but do not consume them with the belief that they are nutritionally similar substitutes for cow’s milk.”

This was the first study to analyse the actual content of the plant-based milks available in New Zealand. The study, titled “Nutritional assessment of plant-based beverages in comparison to bovine milk” was published in Frontiers in Nutrition on August 8 2022. n

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The Riddet Institute is a Centre of Research Excellence, hosted by Massey University, which focuses on fundamental and advanced food research. Rob, Emersyn & Kirstie, Kirbin Farming, Ashburton.

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Nurturing the land

The most comprehensive study of pastoral farming undertaken in New Zealand to date was announced recently by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Led by Massey University, with research partners AgResearch, Lincoln University and Dairy Trust Taranaki, the $26.12 million Whenua Haumanu programme will start in 2022 and continue for seven years. The government is a key partner through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, which is administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The research team will investigate multiple aspects of pastoral farming – from field to fork, or pasture to plate. It stretches across the farm system, exploring from below the ground, through to animal product quality and food characteristics. Below-ground measurements will include investigations of soil biodiversity and microbial DNA, nutrient levels and losses, plant root growth, carbon cycling and storage, soil physical structure, earthworms and moisture levels.

Above-ground areas include plant growth, quality and fermentation characteristics, persistence and health, greenhouse gas losses, animal production, reproduction and welfare, and the quality of animal products including meat, wool, milk and milk products.

Professor Danny Donaghy from Massey’s School of Agriculture and Environment and DairyNZ said: “This is the most comprehensive study that has been undertaken of pastoral systems, both conventional and incorporating regenerative farming practices. It will provide a robust evidence base to explore regenerative farming practices alongside conventional pastoral practices in both dairy and sheep systems.”

The research will be collaborative and focus on monitoring a variety of pastoral farming systems to intensively investigate multiple aspects including regenerative farming practices. A key aim of the programme is to investigate potential benefits of diverse pastures for grazing animals, as well as regenerative farming practices, as these have yet to be thoroughly studied, especially in an Aotearoa New Zealand context.

The understanding and results gained from the programme will be incorporated into models and tested across a wide range of sites across the country, to inform the international marketing of our agricultural products. Local iwi involvement is planned, and the programme already has the support of the Massey University Manawatū campus local iwi, Rangitāne, who gifted the name Whenua Haumanu. The team are also engaging with iwi groups in Taranaki.

Alongside the research team, other research partners include scientists from Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and the Riddet Institute, along with industry partners including Fonterra, Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ, Pāmu, Northland Dairy Development Trust, the Fertiliser Association of NZ, Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative, Ballance AgriNutrients, Livestock Improvement Corporation, PGG Wrightson Seeds, Agricom, Barenbrug, On-Farm Research, AgFirst, and Quorum Sense.

The initial work within the programme is to establish the research farms with diverse pasture mixes. Adjoining and within paddocks, native browsable shrubs will be planted as shade and shelter options for grazing animals. There are three main research sites for the programme: Massey University’s Dairy 1 farm grazed by dairy cows, and the Pasture and Crop Research Unit grazed by sheep, and Lincoln University’s Field Research Centre grazed by sheep. Other collaborating sites include Dairy Trust Taranaki’s Waimate West farm, On-Farm Research’s project underway at the Poukawa Research Farm, and Northland Dairy Development Trust’s project underway at the Northland Agricultural Research Farm.

The programme will allow all the farms to share results, research methods, and measurements. n

A comprehensive seven-year research project will soon be underway on three farms to explore various aspects of pastoral farming. From left, Professor Danny Donaghy from Massey’s School of Agriculture and Environment and DairyNZ, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Massey Dairy 1 farm manager Jolanda Amoore at the launch of the study.

“This is the most comprehensive study that has been undertaken of pastoral systems.”

Prof. Danny Donaghy