Macromineral and trace element concentrations of dairy products and plant-based imitations in the UK: implications for population intakes

UK diets rely on dairy to support mineral adequacy. Sales of plant-based dairy imitations (PBDI) are increasing. However, they are not nutritionally equivalent to dairy, and there is no UK analytical data on their mineral composition to assess potential dietary intake risks. We performed the first large-scale analysis of mineral concentrations in the most commonly consumed dairy products and PBDI, comparing semi-skimmed milk (n = 40), yoghurt (n = 80) and cheese (n = 52) with fortified almond, coconut, oat and soya plant-based beverages (PBB; n = 138), coconut and soya plant-based yoghurt imitations (PBYI; n = 49) and coconut oil plant-based cheese imitations (PBCI; n = 40). The data were used to estimate changes in the UK population's mineral intakes based on current consumption. PBDI were highly varied, with mineral concentrations determined by fortification and plant base. While fortified PBB contained similar calcium concentrations to milk, the fortification of PBYI was inconsistent, resulting in differences between soya and coconut-based yoghurt imitations. PBCI contained significantly less calcium than cheese despite frequent fortification, likely due to nutritional compromises made to preserve meltability. PBDIs were inadequately fortified with iodine. In PBCI, despite low levels of declared fortification, iodine concentrations suggested that other ingredients in the formulation enhanced the overall iodine content. PBDI were lower in potassium and zinc. Replacement of dairy with PBDI was more expensive and nutritionally detrimental, as adequate intakes of iodine and calcium could become inadequate in some age groups, and prevalence of low intakes of magnesium, potassium, and zinc could be exacerbated, increasing the risk of clinically significant deficiency outcomes.