Milk substitute
[4][5] In 2018, Tara McHugh in Food Technology Magazine wrote: "The word “milk” has been used since around 1200 AD to refer to plant juices.
The Latin root word of lettuce is lact, as in lactate, for its milky juice, which indicates that even the Romans had a fluid definition for milk.
Ken Albala, professor of history at University of the Pacific and host of the podcast Food: A Cultural Culinary History, says that almond milk “shows up in pretty much every medieval cookbook.” Almonds, which originate in the Middle East, reached southern Europe with the Moors around the 8th century, and their milk—yes, medieval Europeans called it milk in their various languages and dialects—quickly became all the rage among aristocrats as far afield as Iceland.
[7][8] The reasons for this increase in popularity range from vegan opposition to the dairy industry, to a growth plant-based diets, to perceptions of health benefits of milk substitutes, to personal flavor preference.
[9] Humans may consume dairy milk for a variety of reasons, including tradition, availability and nutritional value (especially minerals like calcium, vitamins such as B12, and protein).
][citation needed] This may result in additives being put into milk substitutes to compensate for the absence of certain vitamins, minerals and/or proteins.
[citation needed] Infant formula, whether based on cow's milk, soy or rice, is usually fortified with iron and other dietary nutrients.
[12][13] The market demand for almond milk has grown continuously throughout the 2010s and 2020s; this is accredited to the increasing number of health-conscious consumers coupled with rising inclination to incorporate more plant-based foods into the diet.
Due to the levels of inorganic arsenic in rice milk, the UK's Food Standards Agency recommends against feeding it to infants, toddlers and young children.
Bloating, cramps, constipation, or diarrhea may result when an individual who is lactose intolerant consumes a dairy product.
[24][25][26][27][28] Rates of lactose intolerance vary globally, from less than 10% in Northern Europe to as high as 95% in parts of Asia and Africa.
[29] In a modern Western context, food products are manufactured as dairy substitutes partly to cater to lactose intolerant individuals, including milk, yogurt, whipped topping and ice cream.
[30] However many smaller scale, organic, gourmet or slow food focused non-dairy ice cream manufacturers create all their products using traditional, natural and only slightly altered methods.
[31] Many parents are turning to plant based milk substitutes due to infant allergies and an increase in vegan diets in recent years, as well as their perceived nutritional benefits.
[32] In the past, soy-based formulae were correlated with certain nutritional deficiencies in infants, but have since been supplemented with necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Other questions about nutritional detriments of soy-based formulae have arisen, including potential hormonal effects, but research does not support this outcome.
[32] Rice is one of the lesser allergenic alternatives, and hydrolyzed hypo-allergenic rice-based formulae has been developed which have also been fortified with necessary nutritional substitutes.
[32] For more information about choosing infant formulas, please consult your pediatrician and the guidelines recommended by associations such as The American Academy of Pediatrics.
