When it comes to milk substitutes, it is important to add nutrients such as vitamin B12, says Germany’s most important nutrition expert association.
Versatile milk substitute: Can be made with nuts, almonds, oats, etc. Photo: Osborne, Ria/FC/Photo Alliance
Berlin Taz | Anyone looking to replace the amount of milk recommended by nutritionists with plant-based alternatives should choose products rich in nutrients such as vitamin B12. The position, announced Thursday by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), largely excludes organic alternatives, as EU organic regulations only allow natural ingredients such as algae, which provide calcium.
For example, those who still drink organic soy milk are advised by Germany’s most important nutrition association to “take care to get calcium, iodine, vitamins B2 and B12 from other foods or dietary supplements.” But this is so complicated that the president-elect can only point out that “a qualified nutritionist can provide support.”
DGE cites several advantages of plant-based beverages: “Compared to milk, plant-based milk alternatives, on average, produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, use less water, and take up less land,” the scientists wrote.
Livestock, in particular, is responsible for 13 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases, including soil and machinery emissions, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Many people want to avoid animal suffering, such as drinking oat milk instead of cow’s milk, according to the governor-elect.
But for health reasons, experts are reaffirming their daily milk and dairy intake recommendations, which they released in June. “For adults, that’s about two a day. For example, one serving could be a glass of milk, a cup of natural yogurt, or a slice of cheese,” says the governor-elect. “They provide essential nutrients like calcium, iodine, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12.
“Epidemiological data also suggest that dairy consumption is associated with a lower risk of a number of diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.”
Organic dressing with added vitamins
Anna-Lena Klapp, a nutritionist for the vegan group ProVeg, praises the fact that the president-elect is giving people a range of options. “She says, ‘You have to be careful about this and that.’” She finds the report “very, very positive.” It also provides guidance for manufacturers to enrich their plant-based milk alternatives with essential nutrients. Klapp is calling on the EU to allow organic companies to do the same in the future.
Peter Röhrig, executive director of the Federation of Organic Food Industries (BÖLW), disagrees. “Vitaminization of organic food is prohibited throughout the EU for good reason,” he writes in taz. The eating styles are too different “to safely add vitamins, iodine or calcium to food to treat individual deficiencies.” People who do not eat a healthy, balanced diet should seek advice from a doctor or nutritionist and supplement their deficiencies with additional preparations.
