ArticleAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2021
Perspective: Identifying Ultra-Processed Plant-Based Milk Alternatives in the USDA Branded Food Products Database.
Article in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Can the Substitution of Milk with Plant-Based Drinks Affect Health-Related Markers? A Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies in Adults.Nutrients · 2023Pooled it
- Ultra-processed food intake and its nutritional consequences among youth when consuming vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pescatarian or omnivore diets: a cross-sectional study.Nutrition journal · 2026Article
- Novel Plant and fungi-based Alternatives Support Nutritional Adequacy of Diets and Reduce Their Environmental Impacts.Current developments in nutrition · 2026Article
- Consumption Habits and Perception of Plant-Based Milk and Dairy Alternatives Among Vegetarians and Omnivores: A Case Study of Consumers in Slovenia.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nutritional quality of plant-based beverages in Türkiye: application of the updated nutri-score algorithm.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Achieving High Protein Quality Is a Challenge in Vegan Diets: A Narrative Review.Nutrition reviews · 2025Review
- Exploring the Nutritional Profile and Cost of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives Compared with Dairy Milk in the UK with Consideration of Environmental Impact Data.Current developments in nutrition · 2025Article
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid Fortification of Plant-Based Beverages to Enhance Their Nutritional Profile.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Defining the role of processing in food classification systems-the IUFoST formulation & processing approach.NPJ science of food · 2025Article
- Higher Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods Is Associated with Lower Plant-Based Diet Quality in Australian Adults.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Nova fails to appreciate the value of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives in the diet.Journal of food science · 2025Review
- Dairy milk: There are alternatives but no equivalents.Food science & nutrition · 2024Article
- Comparing Nutrient Profiles of Meat and Fish with Plant-Based Alternatives: Analysis of Nutrients, Ingredients, and Fortification Patterns.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Review
- A Little Bird Told Me… Nutri-Score Panoramas from a Flight over Europe, Connecting Science and Society.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Ultra-Processed Foods in the Mediterranean Diet according to the NOVA Classification System; A Food Level Analysis of Branded Foods in Greece.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- "Got Milk Alternatives?" Understanding Key Factors Determining U.S. Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Plant-Based Milk Alternatives.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- A comparison of the nutritional profile and nutrient density of commercially available plant-based and dairy yogurts in the United States.Frontiers in nutrition · 2023Article
- Article
- Perspective: Soy-based Meat and Dairy Alternatives, Despite Classification as Ultra-processed Foods, Deliver High-quality Nutrition on Par with Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Animal-based Counterparts.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2022Article
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Abstract
This study explored the characteristics of plant-based beverages (PBBs) that are marketed as "milks" in the United States. First, machine searches of product names and ingredients in the USDA Branded Food Products Database (BFPDB) yielded 641 nondairy PBBs that included almond, soy, coconut, cashew, other tree nut, flax/hemp, pea, and quinoa and rice "milks." The products varied in energy density and the majority of PBBs contained added salt (69%) and added sugar (53%). Scores on nutrient density metrics [Nutri-Score, Choices, and the Nutrient Rich Food index 7.3 (NRF7.3)] were higher for almond and pea products and lower for coconut PBBs, which contained saturated fat. Ingredient lists were searched further for added flavors, stabilizers, or preservatives said to be characteristic of the NOVA food classification system's ultra-processed group. Most PBBs (90.1%) and 95% of almond milks met the NOVA criteria for ultra-processed foods, because they were created from food components and contained multiple substances not used in normal cooking. Replacing milk and dairy products with plant-based alternatives will necessarily involve the use of ultra-processed foods.
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