Milk-alternative drinks shown to be short on iodine

26 Sep 2017 --- Consumers of milk-alternative drinks may be at risk of iodine deficiency, according to the findings of the first study of its kind in the UK, published in the British Journal of Nutrition. This may prove to be another potential marketing platform for the dairy industry following the recent European Court of Justice ruling that purely plant-based products cannot be marketed with names like “milk.”

Researchers from the University of Surrey examined the iodine content of 47 milk-alternative drinks – including soy, almond, coconut, oat, rice, hazelnut and hemp, but excluding those marketed specifically at infants and children – and compared it with that of cows’ milk.

The researchers discovered that the majority of milk-alternative drinks did not have adequate levels of iodine, with concentration levels found to be around 2 percent of those found in cows’ milk.

Cows’ milk and dairy products are the main source of iodine in the UK diet; however, findings from the study show that most milk-alternative drinks are not an adequate substitute.

Importance of iodine indicated
Iodine is required to make thyroid hormones, and is particularly important during pregnancy as it is essential for normal foetal brain development. Previous research in this area by the University of Surrey has shown low iodine status in pregnant mothers is linked to lower IQ and reading scores in their children (up to 9 years of age), the university notes.

“Many people are unaware of the need for this vital dietary mineral and it is important that people who consume milk-alternative drinks realize that they will not be replacing the iodine from cows’ milk which is the main UK source of iodine,” says Margaret Rayman, Professor of Nutritional Medicine at the University of Surrey. “This is particularly important for pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy.”

“A glass of a milk-alternative drink would only provide around 2 mcg of iodine which is a very small proportion of the adult recommended iodine intake of 150 mcg/day. In pregnancy, that recommendation goes up to 200 mcg/day,” Rayman adds.

“Milk-alternative drinks are increasingly being used as a replacement for cows’ milk for a number of reasons that obviously include allergy or intolerance to cows’ milk. Worryingly, most milk-alternative drinks are not fortified with iodine and their iodine content is very low,” says Dr. Sarah Bath, Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at the University of Surrey and registered dietitian.

If avoiding milk and dairy products, consumers need to ensure that they have iodine from other dietary sources, where possible, according to Bath. “More information on good iodine sources such as white fish can be found in the British Dietetic Association Iodine Food Fact Sheet. If considering taking an iodine supplement, they should avoid kelp which can provide excessive amounts of iodine,” Bath adds.

Legal naming restriction
The news follows the European Court of Justice ruling on June 14, 2017 that purely plant-based products cannot be marketed with names such as “milk,” “cream,” “butter,” “cheese” or “yogurt,” which are strictly reserved by EU law for animal products.

An article in the September 2017 edition of The World of Food Ingredients, notes how this decision also pertains to products that used dairy-related terms in conjunction with clarifying or descriptive terms indicating the plant origin of the product concerned. The dairy industry unsurprisingly responded with optimism, citing dairy’s nutritional value over that of dairy alternatives.

“Vegetable-based drinks or products sometimes hijack dairy terms and hence the well-deserved good image of milk and dairy products. Milk and dairy terms are legally protected not in only through the EU law, but also at global level via a Codex Alimentarius standard (Codex Stan 2061999),” says Alexander Anton, Secretary-General of the European Dairy Association (EDA).

By Paul Creasy