Macromineral and trace element concentrations of dairy products and plant-based imitations in the UK: implications for population intakes

Wall, R. J., Clegg, M., Zou, Y. and Stergiadis, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7293-182X (2025) Macromineral and trace element concentrations of dairy products and plant-based imitations in the UK: implications for population intakes. Food Research International, 222 (2). 117741. ISSN 1873-7145 doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117741

Abstract/Summary

UK diets rely on dairy to support mineral adequacy. Sales of plant-based dairy imitations (PBDI) are increasing. However, they are not nutritionally equivalent to dairy, and there is no UK analytical data on their mineral composition to assess potential dietary intake risks. We performed the first large-scale analysis of mineral concentrations in the most commonly consumed dairy products and PBDI, comparing semi-skimmed milk (n=40), yoghurt (n=80) and cheese (n=52) with fortified almond, coconut, oat and soya plant-based beverages (PBB; n=138), coconut and soya plant-based yoghurt imitations (PBYI; n=49) and coconut oil plant-based cheese imitations (PBCI; n=40). The data were used to estimate changes in the UK population’s mineral intakes based on current consumption. PBDI were highly varied, with mineral concentrations determined by fortification and plant base. While fortified PBB contained similar calcium concentrations to milk, the fortification of PBYI was inconsistent, resulting in differences between soya and coconut-based yoghurt imitations. PBCI contained significantly less Ca than cheese despite frequent fortification, likely due to nutritional compromises made to preserve meltability. PBDIs were inadequately fortified with iodine. In PBCI, despite low levels of declared fortification, iodine concentrations suggested that other ingredients in the formulation enhanced the overall iodine content. PBDI were lower in K and Zn. Replacement of dairy with PBDI was more expensive and nutritionally detrimental, as adequate intakes of I and Ca could become inadequate in some age groups, and prevalence of low intakes of Mg, K, and Zn could be exacerbated, increasing the risk of clinically significant deficiency outcomes.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/125390
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117741
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Interdisciplinary centres and themes > Chemical Analysis Facility (CAF) Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Animal Sciences
Publisher	Elsevier
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