Nutritional benefits and shortcomings of plant-based dairy analogues

With the aim of clarifying the nutritional benefits and shortcomings of plant-based dairy alternatives on the Swedish market, researchers at RISE have collected information on more than 200 dairy analogues, products developed to mimic and replace dairy, from main retailers in Sweden. This blog post summarizes some key messages from this research, based on two scientific publications (Moshtaghian et al. 2024 och Moshtaghian et al. 2025).

What is the novelty of our research? 

Mapping of the nutritional quality of plant-based dairy alternatives have so far mostly focused on milk substitutes only. In this study, we go beyond just beverages, and include all products meant to replace dairy in the diet, i.e., yoghurt, cheese, cream, fat spreads and ice-cream. 

What can we say about the overall nutritional quality of these products?

Milk and dairy are a cornerstone in the Nordic diet, and important sources of protein, calcium, vitamins B2, D, B12 and iodine. Plant-based dairy alternatives need to match the nutritional profile of dairy if used as total replacers in the diet. However, plant-based alternatives on the Swedish market generally contain lower protein (except soybean-based beverages) than their dairy counterparts and negligible minerals and vitamins if not fortified. 

Does this mean that consumers need to always choose fortified products?

Yes, and especially if adopting a vegan diet, where for example other sources of vitamin B12 or D are scarce. However, fortified options are not currently available for all plant-based dairy alternatives. For example, above 70% of plant-based milk and yoghurt alternatives are fortified with vitamin D, B12 and calcium in Sweden, whilst none of the creams and ice-creams are. Some products are enriched in only one nutrient, like plant-based spreads which are fortified with vitamin D, or cheese alternatives with vitamin B12.

It is positive that alternatives to largely consumed products such as milk and yoghurt are mostly fortified in Sweden, however this applies to conventional products only. Organic plant-based milk and yoghurt alternatives are by law only allowed vitamin D fortification. Therefore, consumers should be aware that the regular consumption of these products may impact on the intake of essential vitamins and minerals from the diet.

Plant-based milk alternatives are the largest product group analyzed in this study, can we say something more specific about them?

Yes, authors identified on the Swedish market products based on at least seven different raw materials, and mixes of them. Oat-based milk alternatives are most common, followed by soybean- and almond-based. Their nutrient profile is characterized by generally lower energy, saturated fat, protein and sugar content than milk, not differently to what observed by other authors in products on shelves of six different European countries (Siegrist et al., 2024). 

Are all plant-based alternatives to dairy equally nutritious?

Similarly to dairy, even among plant-based dairy the nutritional quality varies among different product typologies. Products consumed daily such as plant-based milk and yoghurt alternatives have better nutritional profiles, with lower energy and fat. Plant-based yoghurts provide most protein per calorie, but preference should be given to unflavored options, to reduce sugar consumption. On the other end, plant-based alternatives to cheese are rich in calories and contain much salt. Creams, fat spreads and ice-creams alternatives are more indulgent products which should be consumed in small amounts, which is also true for their dairy counterparts.

How does the Keyhole work for plant-based dairy alternatives?

We looked at how well plant-based dairy alternatives on the Swedish market qualify for front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes such as the Nordic Keyhole and Nutri-Score. Some dairy alternatives, such as flavored plant-based milk analogues, plant-based cream cheese, fat spreads containing plant sterols and ice cream alternatives are excluded by the Keyhole regulation.  Nevertheless, most Keyhole-eligible options were among plant-based fat spreads (37%), followed by milk alternatives (16%). In the yoghurt category, only one plant-based product was Keyhole eligible. We can therefore say that there is currently a limited number of plant-based dairy alternatives on the Swedish market that could be labelled as “healthier choices” according to the Keyhole.

When we compared the Keyhole with Nutri-Score, which is not authorised in Sweden but is used in other EU countries, we found that the Keyhole and Nutri-Score often differed in terms of the number of products that can be considered to be of optimal nutritional quality under each system. This highlights differences in the assessment criteria for the two labelling schemes, with potential implications for consumer guidance depending on which scheme is applied.

Is there a place for plant-based dairy alternatives in a healthy and sustainable diet?

The newly released dietary guidelines for Sweden emphasize the role of dairy in a healthy diet, suggesting preferring low-fat milk and fermented products. Although dairy production releases a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, grazing cows in open landscape, which is a common practice in Sweden, can have a positive effect on biodiversity.

Nevertheless, the dietary guidelines strongly recommend consumers who replace dairy with  plant-based alternatives, to always choose fortified products. Those consuming organic plant-based alternatives need to assume vitamin B2, vitamin B12 and calcium from other foods or supplements.

The blog post was written by Marta Bianchi and Susanne Bryngelsson. 

References

• Hanieh Moshtaghian, Elinor Hallström, Marta Bianchi, and Susanne Bryngelsson. Application of Nordic Keyhole and Nutri-Score for assessment of nutritional quality of plant-based dairy analogues >> .
• Hanieh Moshtaghian, Elinor Hallström, Marta Bianchi, and Susanne Bryngelsson. Nutritional profile of plant-based dairy alternatives in the Swedish market >>
• Swedish food based dietary guidelines on dairy foods >>