Scholarly record

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PLANT-BASED MILK ALTERNATIVES: AMARANTH, ALMOND, SOY

Mihaela Lacatus, Iasmina-Madalina Anghel, Monica Dragomirescu, Liana Maria Alda, Despina-Maria Bordean

Abstract

In recent years, with the interest in healthy diet and environmental protection, plant-based alternatives, to classic milk, have been developed and produced. In addition to the already well-known products, such as almond or soy milk, amaranth milk is also becoming increasingly known. Amaranth milk is considered a possible alternative with both nutritional and ecological benefits. As a result of environmental problems and people's needs, this paper aims to compare these types of plant-based beverages, in terms of composition and environmental impact. The data used in this study, regarding the content of essential minerals and the nutritional profile of amaranth milk compared to almond and soy milk where based from specialized literature. To assess the environmental impact, the indicators were analyzed based on information available in scientific articles. The statistical analysis and modeling was made using PAST software (version 2.17c). The results obtained from the highlight differences between the three types of beverages. Almond milk involves high water consumption, while soy milk has a more balanced impact, but raises some land use issues. In contrast, amaranth stands out for its adaptability and low cultivation requirements, which makes it a favorable option from a sustainability point of view. At the same time, the mineral content is richer in amaranth milk compared to almond and soy milk, with almond milk having the lowest mineral content. In conclusion, amaranth milk can be considered as a promising alternative in the current issues: sustainable diets, combining nutritional and ecological benefits. However, further studies are needed to fully evaluate its potential, to optimize the production process and complete life cycle assessment.

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