Oat Products Research Articles

Eco-friendly one-step egg white gel preparation for sensitive detection of 13 trichothecenes in oats using UHPLC-MS/MS.

Oat products have gained widespread recognition as a health food due to their rich and balanced nutritional profile and convenience. However, the unique matrix composition of oats, which differs significantly from other cereals, presents specific challenges for mycotoxin analysis. This study presents an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method enhanced with an innovative egg white gel pretreatment for the simultaneous analysis of 13 regulated and unregulated trichothecenes in oats. The method demonstrated excellent performance with high accuracy (> 87.5%), repeatability (< 5.7%), and reproducibility (< 8.1%). Analysis of 100 commercial oat products revealed a concerning detection rate (78%) for at least one of the 11 trichothecenes investigated. Notably, deoxynivalenol, exceeding the standard limit in 2% of samples, exhibited the highest detection rate (62%). Additionally, concerning co-occurrence patterns and positive correlations were observed, highlighting potential synergistic effects. The first-time detection of unregulated mycotoxins (T-2 triol, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, 15-acetoxyscirpenol, and neosolaniol) underscores the need for comprehensive monitoring. This method, while developed for oats, shows potential for broader application to other cereals, though further investigation and confirmation are necessary. These findings suggest a potentially underestimated risk of trichothecenes in oats, necessitating continuous monitoring to ensure consumer safety.

Consumption of oatmeal and diabetes mellitus: A systematic literature review

Oats have gained popularity as a diabetes-friendly option due to their rich soluble dietary fiber and the presence of bioactive β-glucan. These elements contribute to lowering postprandial glucose, enhancing insulin sensitivity, regulating glycemic control, and managing blood lipids. However, recent studies have highlighted that consumption of oatmeal could be related to an increase in blood level sugar. Opting for low-GI foods over conventional or high-GI choices has a modest yet clinically meaningful impact on mid-term glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. Milling and cooking practices seem to induce substantial alterations in the digestibility of starch in oat products. Therefore, the general aim of this study was to summarize the effects of different oatmeal products on blood sugar, particularly in diabetes mellitus patients. PRISMA guidelines were used as the method to find suitable sources for this systematic review from several scientific databases such as ScienceDirect, Taylor and Francis, Proquest, and EBSCOhost. The keywords used to identify the relevant studies were oat, oatmeal, diabetes, glycemic index. The initial search in the databases yielded 18 articles. This review reveals that types and different processing technologies applied to oat could lead to a various glycemic index of oatmeal.

Exploring Gluten Assessment in Marketed Products through a Sandwich ELISA Methodology Based on Novel Recombinant Antibodies.

This study presents the development of a sandwich ELISA method for gluten detection in foods, using recombinant Fab antibody fragments against gliadin. The Fabs were chemically biotinylated and immobilized on streptavidin-coated plates as capture antibodies, while alkaline phosphatase-conjugated Fabs were used as detection antibodies. Four different gliadin-binding Fabs were tested and the Fab pair Fab8E-4 and Fab-C showed the best compatibility. An indirect sandwich immunoassay, using unmodified Fab8E-4 for capture and Fab-C as the detection antibody, achieved a detection limit of 26 ng/mL of gliadin, corresponding to 10 mg/kg of gluten in foods. No cross-reactivity was observed against 60 gluten-free species commonly used in the food industry. Analysis of 50 commercial products demonstrated consistent results compared to the standard method for gluten detection. The complete lack of cross-reactivity of the developed immunoassay with oat products potentially provides an advantage over other gluten detection systems.

Exploring oat lipid profile and changes in volatile profile of oats upon cooking into porridge using a foodomics approach

This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the lipid profile and volatile compounds in oat-based products and investigate how their volatile compositions change upon cooking into porridge. Twelve commercially available oat products with distinct fatty acid compositions were selected. Using a foodomics approach involving gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprinting and chemometrics, the study classified volatile profiles within oat samples and identified discriminant compounds responsible for differences. The results highlighted variations in volatile components spanning chemical groups (alkanals, alcohols, Strecker aldehydes, esters, and terpenes), reflecting differences in volatile attributes across brands. Similar profiles among products from the same manufacturer indicated links between variety, processing methodologies, and volatile profiles. Comparing dry and porridge samples, except for notable shifts in some cases, consistent volatile profiles and discerning compounds after cooking suggested key elements persist, implying potential parallels in volatile profiles pre- and post-preparation. This study underscores the potential of the foodomics approach for understanding volatile profiles in oat-based products, aiding flavor enhancement and optimizing product quality.

Integration of cross-correlation analysis and untargeted flavoromics reveals unique flavor formation of lactic acid bacteria co-fermented oat beverage

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation has the potential to be an effective way to improve the flavor of foods. In this study, Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis), Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) co-fermented oat beverage was prepared and both the molecular and biochemical basis for its unique flavor formation were investigated by using cross-correlation analysis combined with untargeted flavoromics. Results showed that via co-fermentation main flavor substances like organic acids, free amino acids (FAAs) and volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) could be regulated dynamically. Interaction network analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) convinced the crucial roles of three bacteria in shaping the overall flavor profile of co-fermented beverage, especially for the formation of soft sourness, sweetness, and freshness. According to untargeted metabolomics, it could be concluded that co-fermentation regulated significant differential metabolites (56 in total) unique to LAB co-fermented oat beverage such as benzoic acid, DL-arginine, uridine, and citrate. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis further predicted the viable formation pathways of key flavor compounds obtained by RDA such as organic acids (malate, citrate, et al.), FAAs (aspartate, glutamate, et al.) and VFCs (2,3-butanedione, 1-nonanol, et al.). This work demonstrates the positive flavor contribution of LAB co-fermentation, providing valuable reference for subsequent multi-omics studies on fermented oat products.

Effect of milling and defatting treatment on texture and digestion properties of oat rice

Oat rice with great sensory acceptance was developed based on the combination method of milling and defatting (petroleum ether) treatment. In this study, the effect of milling and defatting treatment on the texture and digestion properties of oat rice was investigated. Results showed that milling and defatting treatment enhanced stickiness, enthalpy, and starch digestibility. The pasting temperature and hardness of oat rice were reduced. The lipid content of oat rice was significantly reduced by milling and defatting treatment, leading to a decrease in the formation of starch-lipid complex. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the application of milling and defatting treatments led to a reduction in the content of starch-lipid complexes in oats during the cooking process. Milling and defatting significantly enhanced both the rapid and slow digestion rates of oat rice. Specifically, the rapid digestion rate was found to be 2.5 times higher than the slow digestion rate. The nutritive components of oat rice were properly preserved, and the viscosity and elasticity of oat rice reached the maximum when milling for 40 s and defatting. This study provides a theoretical basis for oat products.

Gluten cross contact in oats: retrospective database analysis 2011 to 2023

It is long-established that oats are at substantial risk for cross contact with gluten-containing grain. Specially processed gluten-free oats, whether purity protocol or mechanically/optically sorted, made it possible for this grain to be included in a gluten-free diet in the U.S. Gluten Free Watchdog (GFWD) (Manchester, Massachusetts, United States) has been assessing the gluten content of labeled gluten-free foods since 2011. In 2022, there was an apparent increase in the number of oat products testing with quantifiable gluten at or above 5 mg/kg or parts per million (ppm). The purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of gluten in foods containing oats to determine if there were any trends. In this retrospective database analysis, GFWD product test reports from April 2011 to May 1, 2023 were searched using the term “oat.” The search identified 213 individual packages of food that contained the word “oat” in the ingredients list. The test results for these packages of food were reviewed. Of these, 24 (11%) tested with quantifiable gluten greater than or equal to 5 mg/kg (ppm). The percentage of oats testing with quantifiable gluten varied per year but spiked in 2022 at 35%. It is not possible to know for certain what caused this increase. The drought during the oat growing season of 2021 could be a major factor. This drought impacted oat crops in both the US and Canada and led to one of the worst oat crops going back over 150 years. One limitation of this study is that it was a retrospective analysis. Different numbers of oat products were tested each year and these were often different brands of oats and different oat formulations. To assess the level of gluten cross contact in oats going forward a much larger prospective study should be conducted.

Volatile compound dynamics in oats solid-state fermentation: A comparative study of Saccharomyces cerevisiae A3, Lactococcus lactis 4355, and Lactobacillus plantarum 2329 inoculations

Fermentation is a longstanding method that enhances food quality and finds extensive food processing and preservation applications. This study comprehensively studied the impact of oats fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae A3 and Lactococcus lactis 4355 (T1), Saccharomyces cerevisiae A3, and Lactobacillus plantarum 2329 (T2) on volatile-compounds using UHPLC-MS/MS. A total of 74 volatile compounds were found in control samples (YM), 81 in T1 samples, and 60 in T2 samples. T2 samples showed the highest hydrocarbons, esters, and phenols (25.7%, 2.26%, and 0.32%) compared with T1 (21.6%, 1.29%, and 0.19%) and YM samples (18.6%, 1.86%, and 0), respectively. Moreover, volcano, Z-score scatter plot distributions, and KEGG-path analysis indicated that different metabolic pathways in YM-T1 and YM-T2 models, where glycerophospholipid-metabolic pathways were the dominant in T1, while ABC transporters-pathways were the prominent in T2. These findings offer valuable insights for future advancements of novel oat products with enhanced functionality.

Oat and Oat Processed Products—Technology, Composition, Nutritional Value, and Health

Oat has been known in food technology and human nutrition for a very long time. Its rich chemical composition and high nutritional value make it of interest to scientists in the field of food processing technology as well as nutritionists. Low-processed, whole-grain oat products rich in biologically active substances with well-proven preventive and therapeutic effects include not only dehulled oat grains and groats but also a wide range of breakfast cereals. These products fit into the definition of functional foods and are considered excellent prebiotics. The continuous development of cereal processing technologies can improve existing cereal products and help to create new ones; however, it also increases the possibility of raw material over-processing, thus decreasing its functional properties. Therefore, monitoring technological progress and the quality of the products obtained is of great value and interest for nutritionists and consumers. The work presented here aims at systematizing existing knowledge on oat products, their impact on human health, and progress in oat processing technology. It also brings insight into various new avenues for the utilization of oat products in food technology.

Enzymatic characteristics and potential natural inhibitors of oat lipase

Lipase plays a pivotal role in the rancidity pathway of lipids and it hinders the industrial development of oat products. The existing methods to inactivate lipase are energy intensive and cause nutrient loss. Understanding the structure and characteristics of oat lipase could lead to better inactivation methods. Oat Lipase was extracted, partially purified, and its characteristics and structure were studied. The partially purified protein matched the Os06g0157000 protein with 36.5 kDa and belonged to the ‘GDSL’ lipolytic enzyme family. Oat lipase showed highest catalytic activity at 40 °C, pH 7.5 and held stability below 50 °C and at pH 7.0–8.0. Cu2+, Fe3+, Ba2+, K+ and Mg2+ all inhibited oat lipase activity, with Fe3+ having the strongest effect. The oat lipase showed high specificity for hydrolysis of oat oil. The results of molecular docking and molecular dynamics analysis showed that avenanthramides (AVAS), rutin, and ferulic acid were potential lipase inhibitors, with ferulic acid having the greatest effect. In storage experiments of pearled oats, ferulic acid delayed lipid hydrolysis and lipid oxidation degradation. In the present study, we found a natural lipase inhibition that is safe and nutritional.

Effects of milling on texture and in vitro starch digestibility of oat rice.

Compared with other oat products, consumers in China prefer oat rice and porridge made from naked oat. However, this oat product usually has poor sensory acceptance, which is directly related to the texture properties. This study aimed to use the milling method to improve the oat rice texture. The nutrient component, microstructure, pasting, and thermal properties of oat treated with different degrees of milling (0s, 20s, 40s, 60s, and 80s) were researched. The results showed that milling would damage the bran layer of oat rice, increasing starch, β-glucan, total leached solids content, and the gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH). Meanwhile, oil, protein content, the pasting viscosity, and the pasting temperature were decreased. Milling made oat rice sticky and soft, and the bound water and non-flowing water migrated like flowing water. The cross-section of oat rice showed that milling damaged the surface of oat rice, which was beneficial to water entry and starch dissolution, and increased the viscosity of oat rice. When the milling time was 40s and 60s, the appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability of oat porridge were better. Moreover, rapid digestion fraction (k1) and slow digestion fraction (k2) are the lowest and have the effect of low blood glucose rise rate.

Fermented Oats as a Novel Functional Food.

Fermented oats are gaining popularity due to their nutritional value and the increasing consumer demand for health-conscious foods. These oats are believed to offer enhanced phytochemical and nutritional profiles compared to unfermented oats. The increased nutritional content of fermented oats is associated with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which could potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the nutritional benefits of fermented oats in human nutrition. This mini review provides a comprehensive overview of fermented oat products available on the market and the various production methods employed for fermenting oats. Furthermore, this review investigates how fermentation affects the chemical composition and biological functions of oats. Additionally, this manuscript presents some future perspectives on fermented oat products by discussing potential research directions and opportunities for further development. The findings presented in this review contribute to the expanding body of knowledge on fermented oats as a promising functional food, paving the way for future studies and applications in the field of nutrition and health.

Quantification and classification of deoxynivalenol-contaminated oat samples by near-infrared hyperspectral imaging.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most occurring mycotoxin in oat and oat-based products. Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) has been proposed as a promising methodology for analysing DON contamination in the food industry. The present study aims to apply NIR-HSI for DON detection in oat kernels and to quantify and classify naturally DON-contaminated oat samples. Unground and ground oat samples were scanned by NIR-HSI before their DON content was determined by HPLC. The data were pre-treated and analysed by PLS regression and four classification methods. The most efficient DON prediction model was for unground samples (R2=0.75 and RMSEP=403.18μg/kg), using twelve characteristic wavelengths with a special interest in 1203 and 1388nm. The random forest algorithm of unground samples according to the EU maximum limit for unprocessed oats (1750μg/kg) achieved a classification accuracy of 77.8 %. These findings indicate that NIR-HSI is a promising tool for detecting DON in oats.

A Novel Deep Multi-Image Object Detection Approach for Detecting Alien Barleys in Oat Fields Using RGB UAV Images

Oat products are significant parts of a healthy diet. Pure oat is gluten-free, which makes it an excellent choice for people with celiac disease. Elimination of alien cereals is important not only in gluten-free oat production but also in seed production. Detecting gluten-rich crops such as wheat, rye, and barley in an oat production field is an important initial processing step in gluten-free food industries; however, this particular step can be extremely time consuming. This article demonstrates the potential of emerging drone techniques for identifying alien barleys in an oat stand. The primary aim of this study was to develop and assess a novel machine-learning approach that automatically detects and localizes barley plants by employing drone images. An Unbiased Teacher v2 semi-supervised object-detection deep convolutional neural network (CNN) was employed to detect barley ears in drone images with a 1.5 mm ground sample distance. The outputs of the object detector were transformed into ground coordinates by employing a photogrammetric technique. The ground coordinates were analyzed with the kernel density estimate (KDE) clustering approach to form a probabilistic map of the ground locations of barley plants. The detector was trained using a dataset from a reference data production site (located in Ilmajoki, Finland) and tested using a 10% independent test data sample from the same site and a completely unseen dataset from a commercial gluten-free oats production field in Seinäjoki, Finland. In the reference data production dataset, 82.9% of the alien barley plants were successfully detected; in the independent farm test dataset, 60.5% of the ground-truth barley plants were correctly recognized. Our results establish the usefulness and importance of the proposed drone-based ultra-high-resolution red–green–blue (RGB) imaging approach for modern grain production industries.

Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Associated Health Benefits of Oat (Avena sativa) Grains and Oat-Based Fermented Food Products.

Oats (Avena sativa L.) are a popular functional cereal grain due to their numerous health benefits. This review article summarized the information on the chemical composition and phytonutrients of oats grown in different countries. It also reviewed recently developed fermented oat products to highlight their potential for human health. Oats have an interesting nutritional profile that includes high-quality protein, unsaturated fats, soluble fiber, polyphenolic compounds, and micronutrients. Oat grain has a unique protein composition, with globulins serving as the primary storage protein, in contrast to other cereals, where prolamins are the main storage proteins. Oats have the highest fat content of any cereal, with low saturated fatty acids and high essential unsaturated fatty acid content, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Oats are a good source of soluble dietary fiber, particularly β-glucan, which has outstanding functional properties and is extremely important in human nutrition. β-Glucan has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and glucose absorption in the intestine, thereby preventing diseases such as cardiovascular injury, dyslipidemia, hypertension, inflammatory state, and type 2 diabetes. Oats also contain high concentration of antioxidant compounds. Avenanthramides, which are unique to oats, are powerful antioxidants with high antioxidative activity in humans. Recognizing the nutritional benefits of oats, oat-based fermented food products are gaining popularity as functional foods with high probiotic potential.

Effect of food matrix and fermentation on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity and β-glucan release after in vitro digestion in oat-based products

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of fermentation and food matrix on the ACE inhibitory activities of the peptides obtained after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, protein profiles (SDS-PAGE) and β-glucan amounts of oat products. Furthermore, the physicochemical and microbiological properties of fermented oat drinks and oat yogurt-like product obtained from oat fermentation were evaluated. Oat grains were mixed with a certain ratio of water 1:3 w/v (oat:water, yogurt consistency) and 1:5 w/v (oat:water, drink consistency), and this mixture was fermented with yogurt culture and probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum and fermented drinks and yogurt were produced. The results indicated that the fermented oat drink and the oat yogurt-like product had L. plantarum viability over 107 cfu/g. After the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the samples, the hydrolysis levels ranged from 57.70 % to 82.06 %.The hydrolysis level of the samples with fermented-drink consistency was significantly higher than the samples with yogurt consistency (p < 0.05).The SDS-PAGE profiles of the non-digested samples showed that the bands had molecular weights of 12–15 kDa and around 35 kDa. Bands whose molecular weights were around 35 kDA disappeared after gastric digestion. ACE inhibitory activities of the fractions composed of molecular weights of 2 kDa and 2–5 kDa obtained after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the oat samples were in the range of 46.93–65.91 %. The effect of fermentation on the ACE inhibitory activities of the peptide mixture with molecular weights between 2 and 5 kDa was not statistically significant, however, fermentation caused an increase in the ACE inhibitory activities of the peptide mixture with a molecular weight<2 kDa (p < 0.05). The β-glucan amounts of fermented and non-fermented oat products were in the range of 0.57–1.28 %. The β-glucan amounts detected after gastric digestion decreased considerably and β-glucan could not be detected in the supernatant after gastrointestinal digestion. This indicated that β-glucan did not solubilize in the supernatant (bioaccessible) and remained in the pellet. In conclusion, fermentation is a valuable process for releasing peptides with moderately high ACE inhibitory effects from the parent oat proteins.

Determining the optimal modes of the technological process of obtaining dietary flour from oat grain

The article covers the results of study on determining the optimal modes of obtaining dietary flour from oat grains for the nutrition of little children and patients with dietetic disease. At first, the influence of the working space between the grooves of the milling machine on the yield of oat flour has been studied. The influence of the size of milled oat products on the quality of the finished product (flour that does not require cooking) was studied by changing the amount of starch and water-soluble substances in it, and optimum modes for the production of oat flour that does not require cooking, e.g. the amount of ground particles of 500…710 mcm in size is not more than 20.0%, the amount of particles of 150…355 mcm in size is 40.0%, the amount of particles smaller than 150 mcm is not less than 40.0%, etc. have been determined. The proposed technology allows obtaining ecologically clean products and protect the environment from pollution. The application of the obtained results in production allows increasing the type of dietary food products.

Анализ иммунореактивности авенинов сортов овса посевного (Avena sativa L.), возделываемых в Западной Сибири

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically susceptible people after eating prolamin-containing grains. The only cure for celiac disease is a lifelong glutenfree diet, but adherence to this diet can also have a negative impact on health. A good solution may be to include oat products in such a diet. However, different oat varieties differ in their immunogenicity, and studying the immunoreactivity of their prolamins to identify gluten-free genotypes is of utmost importance. The aim of the research was to assess the immunogenicity of varieties and promising breeding lines of oats cultivated in the Tyumen region in the period from 1929 to 2023 for use in the selection of gluten-free varieties. The amount of gluten in the grain was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using test systems based on the use of R5 and G12 antibodies. It was found that none of the samples showed immunoreactivity to the R5 antibody. Using the G12 antibody, all the varieties analyzed were found to be gluten-free, with gluten content ranging from 2.14 (Nidar) to 9.55 (TM 16–58–4) mg/kg. The variety Orel deserves special attention, as the gluten content of its grain is less than 2 mg/kg. This genotype is promising for inclusion in the breeding process to produce glutenfree varieties. The average gluten content in the samples of local selection is 5.23±0.678 mg/kg and significantly exceeds this index in foreign and non-regional varieties, which is associated with the introduction of more allergenic varieties in crossbreeding. The immunogenicity of varieties is associated with specific alleles of avenin-coding loci. Alleles A11, B11 and C2 may be promising as markers for gluten-free varieties. For the successful development of breeding of gluten-free oat varieties, it is necessary to analyze the allelic state of avenin-coding loci of the original genotypes and to determine their gluten content with the G12 antibody.

Individual differences in sensitivity to bitterness focusing on oat and pea preparations

Growing interest in plant-based alternative products offers hope for a more sustainable future. Oat and pea are among the most potential raw materials, due to their nutritional value and their widespread growth. However, one of the key issues with the development of such products is their bitter off-taste due to ingredients like saponins, amino acids, and fatty acids. The perception of bitterness varies between compounds and depends on physiological differences among individuals, which also complicates the development of plant-based alternatives. This study aimed to investigate individual differences in bitterness sensitivity, with a particular focus on pea and oat products. Sensory evaluations (n = 12) and consumer tests (n = 100) showed that people were generally more sensitive to the bitterness of peas than oats. No statistically significant difference was observed in bitterness perception based on diet habits. Furthermore, findings demonstrated that no general standard for assessing a variety of product groups can be recommended for sensory analysis. Well-established bitter standards such as PROP, quinine, and caffeine, were not correlating with other bitter stimuli. Thus, the choice of the bitter standards to be used in sensory analysis depends on the purpose of the study and the samples included.

Most Plant-Based Milk Alternatives in the USDA Branded Food Products Database Do Not Meet Proposed Nutrient Standards or Score Well on Nutrient Density Metrics.

Plant-based milk alternatives and plant-based waters are of variable nutritional value. The present objective was to assess nutrient density of all plant-based beverages in the US Department of Agriculture Branded Food Products Database and determine whether plant-based milk alternatives met the proposed nutrient standards. Plant-based milk alternatives (n = 1042) were identified as almond, soy, coconut, cashew, other tree nut, flax/hemp, pea, and oat, quinoa, and rice products. Plant-based waters (n = 550) were coconut, aloe, tree, fruit, and plain. Machine searches of ingredient lists identified products with added sugars, salt, vitamins, and minerals. Plant-based milk alternatives were tested for compliance with previously developed nutrient standards. The Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF5.3), two versions of Nutri-Score, and Choices International were the nutrient density metrics. Plant-based milk alternatives had mean energy density of 49 kcal/100 g, were low in protein (~1.1 g/100 g), often contained added sugars and salt, and tended to be fortified with calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. Only 117 milk alternatives (11.2%) met nutrient standards and only 80 (7.7%) met the more stringent “best of class” standards for ≥2.8 g/100 g protein and <3.1 g/100 g added sugars. The latter were mostly soy milks. Nutri-Score grades varied depending on whether the beverages were treated as beverages or as solid foods, as is currently required. The highest NRF5.3 scores were given to soy, almond, and tree nut milk alternatives. Plant-based waters had low energy density (~23 kcal/100 g), contained added sugars (4.6 g/100 g), and some had added vitamin C. Applying nutrient standards to plant-based milk alternatives can aid new product development, promote more transparent labeling, and inform potential regulatory actions. Guidance on minimum protein content, maximum recommended amounts of fat, added sugars, and sodium, and consistent fortification patterns would be of value to regulatory agencies and to the food industry.