The Role of Plant-Based Beverages in Nutrition: An Expert Opinion.

The market of plant-based food, including plant-based beverages, is one of the fastest-growing food sectors within the food industry and a subject of major research in the area of new product development. Plant-based beverages are a diverse group of non-dairy beverages with varying nutritional value, depending on the raw material sources and additional substances used in their production. A wide range of plant beverages makes it possible to choose products tailored to individual consumer preferences and needs as a part of sustainable dietary patterns. Increased consumer awareness of the environmental and health implications of proper nutrition, interest in plant-based diets, climate, and natural resource protection, as well as ethical concerns about animal welfare and the negative environmental impact of animal production, have led some consumers to seek a more balanced diet based on varied plant-based products, including beverages. Considering the highly diversified nutritional value of plant-based beverages, their availability, convenience, accessibility to consumers, ethical and environmental concerns, increasing health concerns as well as growing popularity of plant-based beverages as potential cow-milk alternatives, the Group of Experts in medicine and nutritional sciences presents the opinion on the nutritional value, health benefits and concerns of the available plant-based beverages. The opinion was based on a critical review of the current scientific literature, as well as on the experts' experience. This knowledge can be used to make the right choices to improve the nutritional status and health of the consumers from different groups. Since the nutritional profiles of plant-based beverages vary across different plant-based drink varieties and they do not have standards of identity, in our opinion, there is a need for action to standardize nutrient fortification regarding the type and amount of added ingredients to ensure the safety of consumers and avoid potential over- or under-fortification of plant-based beverages.