The answer is yes- almond milk is one of the worst offenders when it comes to water use and carbon emissions. In fact, it has been estimated that a single cup of almond milk uses more than two gallons of water and releases more than three pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Plant milk is considered part of the vegan diet, provided no additives contain animal products. Almond milk is made from almonds and water but is sometimes added with honey which is not included in what vegans consume. Most brands use this syrup to add the sweet taste, but animal products like dairy milk.
NSW Health is advising people not to consume Inside Out Unsweetened Almond Milk following a statewide recall of the product, which has been linked to a case of botulism. The product, with a use by date of 1 March 2023, has been available for sale at Woolworths in NSW.
Cow's milk has significantly higher impacts than the plant-based alternatives across all metrics. It causes around three times as much greenhouse gas emissions; uses around ten times as much land; two to twenty times as much freshwater; and creates much higher levels of eutrophication.
WhiteWave Foods has been accused of falsely advertising its Silk almond milk by the same legal firm suing Blue Diamond over the way it markets Almond Breeze, and as the cases are near-identical, the judge handling them has consolidated them into one class action in New York*.
An intriguing little detail in all this frothy commerce is that many people in China, like much of Asia, are lactose intolerant. Human children produce an enzyme that allows them to digest milk, but in much of the world, its levels taper off as they grow up.
The source was traced to melamine being added to animal feed, despite a ban imposed in June 2007 following the scandal over pet food ingredients exported to the United States.
Low- or non-fat dairy — Skim or 1% milk contains all the protein, vitamins and minerals that whole milk contains, but it has much less saturated fat. This type of milk is typically more heart-healthy than full-fat milk.
Soy milk – the most balanced nutritional profile
Soy milk is widely consumed for its health benefits linked to the anti-carcinogenic properties of phytonutrients present in the milk known as isoflavones.
Almond milk is a plant-based milk with a watery texture and nutty flavor manufactured from almonds, although some types or brands are flavored in imitation of cow's milk. It does not contain cholesterol or lactose and is low in saturated fat.
As a food produced by insects, honey is by definition not vegan. Bees gather nectar from flowers, partially digest it, and then regurgitate it once back in their hives. Worker bees then seal it into beeswax honeycombs.
Although almond milk is not nearly as nutritious as cow's milk, enriched products come close. They frequently contain added vitamin D, calcium, and protein, making them more similar to regular milk in nutritional content. However, almond milk is naturally rich in several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin E.
Almond milk is pretty simple—it comes from soaked almonds. It's also hormone-free and in unsweetened form, contains less saturated fat and calories than milk, explains Patel—which makes it one of the safer options in the context of hormonal disruption.
“If you're trying to lean out and [are] watching your calories and carbs, then almond milk is the better choice because it's much lower in calories and carbs and won't impact your blood sugar.” And again, if your top criteria for deciding between oat milk vs almond milk is sustainability, oat milk is the better pick.
According to Inhabitat, coconut milk, hemp milk, pea protein milk, and oat milk are generally low-impact, because they either require less water to grow or produce less emissions than other plant milks.
Reduced-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese are better options for people with heart disease or high cholesterol. Butter, cream and ice cream are not part of a heart-healthy diet. Unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese are 'neutral' for heart health.
Finnish milk is among the cleanest milk in the world thanks to healthy cows. The superior quality of Valio milk is ensured by expert milk producers supported by first-class advisory services. Valio milk ranks among the cleanest in the world, and we have zero tolerance for antibiotic residue in milk.
Over 23,000 acres of land have been turned into almond farms to produce almond milk, and 16,000 of those lands used to be wetlands. Long story short – it takes a lot of water to make almond milk. Water is already a limited resource, and the amount it takes to produce almond milk is just making it even scarcer.
The almond industry is rife with pesticide use that is harmful to humans, bees, and other wildlife. Avoid almond milk that isn't certified organic.
China is not just a land of milk and honey for dairy producers since there are several factors hindering the development of China's dairy market. First, Asian people are genetically predisposed to lactase-deficiency: around 92% of adults suffer from lactose intolerance in China.
Twelve years ago, 300,000 children in China were poisoned after drinking infant milk formula that contained melamine, a chemical used in plastic. Six babies were killed by the toxic substance, which was used by 22 companies to artificially boost the protein levels that showed up in nutrition tests.
All of them had been fed milk powder that was later found to have been adulterated with a toxic industrial compound called melamine. Four months later, an estimated 300,000 babies in China were sick from the contaminated milk, and the kidney damage led to six fatalities.