Milk substitute
Encyclopedia
A milk substitute is a liquid that replaces milk
in a diet
or recipe. This overlaps with but is distinct from the group of milk-like liquids called "milks" because of their similarity to the liquid produced by mammary gland
s.
Lactose intolerance
or a milk allergy
can prompt the use of milk substitutes; they are also consumed by vegans. Some milk substitutes are more healthy than milk, by being lower in cholesterol
and/or saturated fat
. When milk substitutes are lacking in vitamin
s or dietary mineral
s present in milk (such as vitamin B12
or calcium
), they are sometimes fortified
.
The two most common categories of milk substitutes are grain milk
and plant milk
. The most common grain milk is rice milk
, while the most common plant milk is soy milk
. Other examples include hemp milk, coconut milk
, almond milk
, and peanut milk
. Gluten-Free Milk substitutes are also available.
is the major sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance
occurs when an individual is deficient in the enzyme lactase
; which breaks down the lactose in the intestine. Bloating, cramps, constipation or diarrhea may result from an individual that consumes a dairy product who is lactose intolerant. A variety of products are available which contain milk substitutes so those foods are still able to be consumed by individuals with a lactose intolerance
. Food products which have been manufactured with milk substitutes include milk
, yogurt, whipped topping
and ice cream
.
, palm kernel oil
and soybean oil
) along with emulsifier, protein
, sweetener
and water. Synthetic ice cream product has a similar flavour and texture to traditional dairy ice cream
.
, vitamin D, B2, A and zinc in order to be used as a substitute for cows milk.
Milk is prepared from pre-soaked rice or from dry rice. Rice milk contains more carbohydrates and less protein than cows milk does. Rice milk is fortified with calcium
, naicin, vitamin B12
, A, and D and iron
to make it a more nutritious substitute for dairy milk. Rice milk can be easily made at home, but then does not contain the same nutrients as it would it it were fortified.
Substitutes are available for infants if breast feeding is not an option. [Infant formulas made of cow’s milk can be a supplement to breast milk or as sole source of nutrition before solid food is introduced. It is essential that the formula is iron
-fortified for optimal growth and health of the baby.
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
in a diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
or recipe. This overlaps with but is distinct from the group of milk-like liquids called "milks" because of their similarity to the liquid produced by mammary gland
Mammary gland
A mammary gland is an organ in mammals that produces milk to feed young offspring. Mammals get their name from the word "mammary". In ruminants such as cows, goats, and deer, the mammary glands are contained in their udders...
s.
Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency or hypolactasia, is the inability to digest and metabolize lactose, a sugar found in milk...
or a milk allergy
Milk allergy
A milk allergy is a food allergy, an adverse immune reaction to one or more of the constituents of milk from any animal...
can prompt the use of milk substitutes; they are also consumed by vegans. Some milk substitutes are more healthy than milk, by being lower in cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
and/or saturated fat
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
. When milk substitutes are lacking in vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s or dietary mineral
Dietary mineral
Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. Examples of mineral elements include calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, and iodine...
s present in milk (such as vitamin B12
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
or calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
), they are sometimes fortified
Food fortification
Food fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micronutrients to food. It can be purely a commercial choice to provide extra nutrients in a food, or sometimes it is a public health policy which aims to reduce numbers of people with dietary deficiencies in a population.Diets that lack...
.
The two most common categories of milk substitutes are grain milk
Grain milk
thumb|right|250px|Rice milk as sold in Germany .Grain milk is a milk substitute made from fermented grain or from flour. Grain milk can be made from oats, spelt, rice, rye, einkorn wheat or quinoa.Grain milk looks very similar to cow's milk...
and plant milk
Plant milk
thumb|right|250px|A cup of [[amazake]] .Plant milk is a general term for any milk-like product that is derived from a plant source. There is no formal or legal definition for plant milk...
. The most common grain milk is rice milk
Rice milk
Rice milk is a kind of grain milk processed from rice. It is mostly made from brown rice and commonly unsweetened. The sweetness in most rice milk varieties is generated by a natural enzymatic process, cleaving the carbohydrates into sugars, especially glucose, similar to the Japanese amazake...
, while the most common plant milk is soy milk
Soy milk
Soy milk and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from soybeans. A stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein, it is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water...
. Other examples include hemp milk, coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
, almond milk
Almond milk
Almond milk is a milky drink made from ground almonds. Unlike animal milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol or lactose. Regular, unsweetened almond milk can be used as a substitute for animal milk in many recipes, and as it does not contain any animal products, is suitable for vegetarians and...
, and peanut milk
Peanut milk
Peanut milk is a non-dairy beverage created using peanuts and water. Recipe variations include salt, sweeteners, and grains. It does not contain any lactose and is therefore suitable for people with lactose intolerance...
. Gluten-Free Milk substitutes are also available.
Lactose Intolerance
LactoseLactose
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar that is found most notably in milk and is formed from galactose and glucose. Lactose makes up around 2~8% of milk , although the amount varies among species and individuals. It is extracted from sweet or sour whey. The name comes from or , the Latin word for milk,...
is the major sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency or hypolactasia, is the inability to digest and metabolize lactose, a sugar found in milk...
occurs when an individual is deficient in the enzyme lactase
Lactase
Lactase , a part of the β-galactosidase family of enzymes, is a glycoside hydrolase involved in the hydrolysis of the disaccharide lactose into constituent galactose and glucose monomers...
; which breaks down the lactose in the intestine. Bloating, cramps, constipation or diarrhea may result from an individual that consumes a dairy product who is lactose intolerant. A variety of products are available which contain milk substitutes so those foods are still able to be consumed by individuals with a lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency or hypolactasia, is the inability to digest and metabolize lactose, a sugar found in milk...
. Food products which have been manufactured with milk substitutes include milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, yogurt, whipped topping
Whipped topping
Whipped topping is imitation whipped cream. Like other ersatz products, there are various reasons for using an imitation:* To exclude dairy ingredients to avoid milk allergies.* To support food taboos such as veganism or kosher meat and milk rules....
and ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
.
Lactose Free Manufacturing
A lactose free food, such as non-dairy ice cream requires a different process during manufacturing. For example, ice cream is made with a combination of milk products that contain lactose but non-dairy ice cream is synthesized using hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut oilCoconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
, palm kernel oil
Palm kernel oil
Palm kernel oil is an edible plant oil derived from the kernel of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis. It should not be confused with the other two edible oils derived from palm fruits: coconut oil, extracted from the kernel of the coconut, and palm oil, extracted from the pulp of the oil palm...
and soybean oil
Soybean oil
Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean . It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. As a drying oil, processed soybean oil is also used as a base for printing inks and oil paints...
) along with emulsifier, protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
, sweetener
Sweetener
Sweetener is a sugar substitute.Sweetener may also refer to:* Sugar alcohol* Honey* Syrup...
and water. Synthetic ice cream product has a similar flavour and texture to traditional dairy ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
.
Soy
Soy is a popular alternative to dairy products containing lactose. Soy beverages are developed by extracting the liquid from ground up soybeans. It comes in a variety of flavors and can be used as beverage, on cereal, or for cooking. “Soy Milk” must be fortified with calciumCalcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
, vitamin D, B2, A and zinc in order to be used as a substitute for cows milk.
Rice
RiceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
Milk is prepared from pre-soaked rice or from dry rice. Rice milk contains more carbohydrates and less protein than cows milk does. Rice milk is fortified with calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
, naicin, vitamin B12
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
, A, and D and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
to make it a more nutritious substitute for dairy milk. Rice milk can be easily made at home, but then does not contain the same nutrients as it would it it were fortified.
Infant Formula
Breast MilkBreast milk
Breast milk, more specifically human milk, is the milk produced by the breasts of a human female for her infant offspring...
Substitutes are available for infants if breast feeding is not an option. [Infant formulas made of cow’s milk can be a supplement to breast milk or as sole source of nutrition before solid food is introduced. It is essential that the formula is iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
-fortified for optimal growth and health of the baby.