Contribution of Plant-Based Dairy and Fish Alternatives to Iodine Nutrition in the Swiss Diet—A Swiss Market Survey †
Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023, Belgrade, Serbia, 14–17 November 2023.
Proceedings 2023, 91(1), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091264
Published: 5 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023)
Abstract
:Background and objectives: In Switzerland, conventional dairy and fish products are major sources of iodine, along with iodized salt. However, the growing popularity of plant-based alternatives may impact the iodine supply of the population. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the iodine content in plant-based dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese) and fish alternatives available in the Swiss retail market and compare them with conventional dairy and fish products. Methods: In 2022, a market survey was conducted in Zurich, Switzerland, to identify the plant-based dairy and fish alternatives available in major retail outlets, online grocery stores, and health food stores. Product information from a total of 477 plant- based alternative products was recorded. Iodine content in unfortified alternatives was factorially calculated using the nutritional composition of plant ingredients listed in the Swiss Food Composition Database. To further comprehend the impact of plant-based alternatives on iodine consumption, we modelled dietary scenarios by substituting the intake of dairy and fish items with plant-based alternatives, based on the recommendations of the Swiss Food Pyramid. Results: Out of the 477 products identified, 58% were organic products. Only 4 out of 170 milk alternatives were iodine fortified (mean iodine concentration: 22.5 μg/100 mL), and there were no yogurt, cheese, or fish alternatives that were iodine fortified. The median iodine concentration in unfortified plant-based alternatives was negligible compared to conventional dairy and fish products (milk: 0.21 vs. 9.5 μg/100 mL; yogurt 0.36 vs. 6.1 μg/100 g; cheese: 0.10 vs. 20 μg/100 g; fish 0.50 vs. 44 μg/100 g). Three portions of dairy per day as recommended by the Swiss Food Pyramid provide 25% of the RDA (150 μg/day), whereas substituting three portions of dairy per day with unfortified alternatives provides only 0.7% of the RDA for iodine. Discussion: Only 4 out of 170 plant-based milk alternatives are iodine-fortified in the Swiss market, while no fortified yogurt, cheese, or fish alternatives are available. Thus, the risk of the consumers to miss out on the ca. 25% of the RDA for iodine by consuming plant-based alternatives is high, placing them at a risk for inadequate iodine intake.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, I.H.-A.; methodology, I.H.-A. and Z.K.; formal analysis, Z.K.; investigation, Z.K.; resources, I.H.-A.; data curation, Z.K.; writing—original draft preparation, Z.K.; writing—review and editing, I.H.-A.; supervision, I.H.-A.; project administration, I.H.-A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
Data collected in this study can be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Herter-Aeberli, I.; Khalil, Z. Contribution of Plant-Based Dairy and Fish Alternatives to Iodine Nutrition in the Swiss Diet—A Swiss Market Survey. Proceedings 2023, 91, 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091264
AMA Style
Herter-Aeberli I, Khalil Z. Contribution of Plant-Based Dairy and Fish Alternatives to Iodine Nutrition in the Swiss Diet—A Swiss Market Survey. Proceedings. 2023; 91(1):264. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091264
Chicago/Turabian StyleHerter-Aeberli, Isabelle, and Zulekha Khalil. 2023. "Contribution of Plant-Based Dairy and Fish Alternatives to Iodine Nutrition in the Swiss Diet—A Swiss Market Survey" Proceedings 91, no. 1: 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091264
