Market Basket Survey of the Micronutrients Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Potassium in Eight Types of Commercial Plant-Based Milk Alternatives from United States Markets

We performed a market basket survey of plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) from United States markets for vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium to identify the amount and variability of these micronutrients across various PBMAs. The PBMA types included in this analysis were almond, cashew, coconut, hemp, oat, pea, rice, and soy (n = 90 total product units). Analyses for vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate), vitamin D2/D3, and minerals were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, respectively. A majority of PBMA types had significant differences (P < 0.05) in the amounts of target micronutrients across brands. The coefficient of variation (%CV) for micronutrient concentrations within one lot of a single brand ranged from 4.1 to 42.2% for vitamin A, 1.5 to 44.1% for vitamin D, 1.7% to 37.6% for calcium, and 0.7% to 39.0% for potassium. The variability of these micronutrients should be taken into account when considering the nutritional value of PBMAs.

Automated summary

We conducted a survey on plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) in the US market to examine the levels and variations of vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium across different PBMAs. The analysis included almond, cashew, coconut, hemp, oat, pea, rice, and soy PBMAs (a total of 90 products). Significant differences in micronutrient amounts were found among most PBMA types across different brands. The variability of micronutrients within a single brand ranged from 4.1% to 42.2% for vitamin A, 1.5% to 44.1% for vitamin D, 1.7% to 37.6% for calcium, and 0.7% to 39.0% for potassium. These micronutrient variabilities should be considered when evaluating the nutritional value of PBMAs.