Pea milk (also known as pea protein beverage) is a type of

plant milk Plant milk is a category of non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Nut milk is a subcategory made from nuts, while other plant milks may be created from grains, pseudocereals, legumes, seeds or endosp ...

. It is made using

pea protein Pea protein is a food product and protein supplement derived and extracted from yellow and green split peas, ''Pisum sativum.'' It can be used as a dietary supplement to increase an individual's protein or other nutrient intake, or as a substit ...

extracted from

yellow peas ''Lathyrus aphaca'', known as the yellow pea or yellow vetchling, is an annual species in the family Fabaceae with yellow flowers and solitary, pea-like fruits. It originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout Europe and beyond as a ...

, usually in combination with water,

sunflower oil Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of the sunflower (''Helianthus annuus''). Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil is primarily compos ...

micronutrient Micronutrients are essential chemicals required by organisms in small quantities to perform various biogeochemical processes and regulate physiological functions of cells and organs. By enabling these processes, micronutrients support the heal ...

s added for

food fortification Food fortification is the addition of micronutrients (essential trace elements and vitamins) to food products. Food enrichment specifically means adding back nutrients lost during food processing, while fortification includes adding nutrients not ...

thickener A thickening agent or thickener is a substance which can increase the viscosity of a liquid without substantially changing its other properties. Edible thickeners are commonly used to thicken sauces, soups, and puddings without altering their ...

s, and

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

s. Commercial pea milk typically comes in sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate flavors. It is marketed as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to

almond milk Almond milk is a plant-based milk substitute 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 saturat ...

and a non-

GMO A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

alternative to

soy milk Soy milk (or soymilk), also known as soya milk, is a plant-based milk produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein. Its original ...

. It is a suitable product for people with soy allergies. Like other plant milks, pea milk is perceived to be environmentally sustainable and requires less water than the production of dairy milk. There is currently limited information on the total

carbon emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

and water consumption of producing ready-to-drink pea milk. Plain pea milk is described to have an off-white colour, a creamy texture, and a thick consistency. Unsweetened pea milk in particular is noted for having a savoury, "pea-like" flavour.

History

Pea milk was introduced in the UK retail market by the brand Mighty Society, and in Australia by the Freedom Foods Group. It was introduced in the US Whole Foods Markets in 2015 by Ripple. By 2018, pea milk was available in more than 10,000 stores in the US. Major consumer product company

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...

released its own version of the drink, called Wunda, in 2021.

Production

Plant milk is made through crushing the plant source and extracting the liquid. Pea milk in Australia is made through a process of soaking yellow split peas and blending with water. Pea milks are

fortified A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lat ...

, which may include addition of various

s, such as

vitamin D2 Ergocalciferol, also known as vitamin D2 and nonspecifically calciferol, is a type of vitamin D found in food. It is used as a dietary supplement to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency due to poor absorption by the intestines or liver dise ...

and

vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. One of eight B vitamins, it serves as a vital cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor in DNA synthesis and both fatty acid metabolism, fatty acid and amino a ...

to the milk during manufacturing. As per research, plant-based milk alternatives' taste can be improved by fermentation and can increase the levels of Vitamin Bs and protein.

Composition and nutritional values

Using RDI (Reference Daily Intake) as a measurement, commercially available pea milk in the US contains 13% of

potassium Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...

, 10% of

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is an essential nutrient. The term "vitamin A" encompasses a group of chemically related organic compounds that includes retinol, retinyl esters, and several provitamin (precursor) carotenoids, most not ...

, 30% of

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of structurally related, fat-soluble compounds responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, along with numerous other biological functions. In humans, the most important compo ...

, 15% of

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

, along with 4.5 grams of

fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specif ...

(from sunflower or other seed oils used in manufacturing), and provides per (unsweetened, original flavour). According to

used during manufacturing, pea milk may contain various added micronutrients, such as

vitamin B3 Vitamin B3, colloquially referred to as niacin, is a vitamin family that includes three forms, or vitamers: nicotinic acid (niacin), nicotinamide (niacinamide), and nicotinamide riboside. All three forms of vitamin B3 are converted within th ...

, B6,

B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. One of eight B vitamins, it serves as a vital cofactor in DNA synthesis and both fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. It plays an essential role in ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

, and

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

. Some types of pea milk contain

algal oil Seaweed oil, also called algae oil or algal oil, is used for making food, with the purified product almost colorless and odorless. It is also under development as a possible alternative fuel and manufacturing agent. Seaweed oil is also used as a ...

, which contains

omega-3 fatty acids Omega−3 fatty acids, also called omega−3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their c ...

Other potential uses

Milk with pea proteins can be included in

infant formula Infant formula, also called baby formula, simply formula (American English), formula milk, baby milk, or infant milk (British English), is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, ...

. Pea protein powders have been developed and are being sold to meet the demand for high-protein diets.

Environmental impact

As an alternative to milk, pea milk has growing market interest due to the perceived benefits that it is ecologically sustainable. It requires 100 times less water to produce than

, and 25 times less water than dairy milk. Another source has stated that pea crops require six times less water than almond crops. The growing of pea crops also results in increased nitrogen levels in the soil and does not require extensive irrigation. Overall, the production of peas does not require the same level of water, nitrogen fertilisers and emissions of greenhouse gases as producing dairy milk.

References