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

plant milk Plant milk is a plant beverage with a color resembling that of milk. Plant milks are non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Plant milks are consumed as alternatives to milk, and often provide a crea ...

. 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 substitu ...

extracted from yellow peas, 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 composed ...

micronutrient Micronutrients are nutrient, essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for exam ...

s added for

food fortification Food fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micronutrients (essential trace elements and vitamins) to food. It can be carried out by food manufacturers, or by governments as a public health policy which aims to reduce the number of p ...

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 t ...

s, and

phosphate 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 orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...

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 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. ...

and a non- GMO alternative to

soy milk Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...

. 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 emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...

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 Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...

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 is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, 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 and used as a dietary supplement. As a supplement it is used to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency. This includes vitamin D defici ...

and

vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. It is one of eight B vitamins. It is required by animals, which use it as a cofactor in DNA synthesis, in both fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. It ...

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 the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosphe ...

, 10% of

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably bet ...

, 30% of

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (c ...

, 15% of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) 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, right in f ...

, 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 spec ...

(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: niacin (nicotinic acid), nicotinamide (niacinamide), and nicotinamide riboside. All three forms of vitamin B3 are converted within the bo ...

, B6,

B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. It is one of eight B vitamins. It is required by animals, which use it as a cofactor in DNA synthesis, in both fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. It ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the 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 ...

, and

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

. Some types of pea milk contain

algal oil Seaweed oil, also called algae oil, is used for making food, with the purified product almost colorless and odorless. Seaweed oil is also used as a source of fatty acid dietary supplement, as it contains mono- and polyunsaturated fats, in partic ...

, 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 chem ...

Other potential uses

Milk with pea proteins can be included in

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

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

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 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

{{Plant milk Cold drinks Grain dishes Imitation foods Milk substitutes Non-alcoholic drinks Plant milk Vegan cuisine Vegetarianism and drinks Sustainable products