Dietitian issues warning over new M&S vegan staple: 'It could put people at risk'

A dietitian has called out a leading high street supermarket over a product he claims is a ‘marketing gimmick' that could cause 'serious harm' of deficiencies.

Marks and Spencer has launched a new type of oat milk containing 'only three ingredients' as part of a range the brand boasts as having no other additives.

But Professor Gunter Kuhnle, a nutritional dietician at the University of Reading, warned that this seeming pushback against ultra-processed foods (UPFs) could leave people vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies.

‘It is a clever idea from M&S which plays on the myth that all processing is bad. It is nothing more than a marketing gimmick,’ he said.

He said many plant based milks have nutrients like calcium and iron added to mimic that found in cow's milk, which some people argue makes the products a UPF.

UPF is an umbrella term for food and drink which has added substances like colourings, sweeteners, preservatives and emulsifiers that can extend its shelf life or appeal to customers, and which have been linked to a host of health issues.

Professor Kuhnle told the MailOnline: ‘Pressure by influencers and anti-UPF evangelists will cause serious harm as people become scared of added ingredients and look to strip back.

‘The issue is that with products like this, added ingredients are often a benefit. Many companies fortify their oat milk so that it gives a similar nutritional profile to cows milk. By taking that away you are putting people at risk.’

He explains that consumption over a long period of time could potentially lead to iron deficiency for people who are likely to only drink this type of milk, such as vegans.

The M&S milk only contains water, oats and sea salt.

In comparison, oat-milk brand leader Oatly adds vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, calcium and iodine to their product, giving it a closer nutritional profile to cow's milk.

Professor Kuhnle said: ‘Consumers need the added ingredients normally in these milks.’

When approached by this website, a M&S spokesperson defended their new milk, stating it offered customers a choice.

'We offer a range of plant-based drinks, including oat drinks which are fortified as part of our Plant Kitchen range,' they said.

'Our Only Ingredients range is about offering choice to customers who want a product with limited ingredients.'

As of 2024, there are an estimated 2.5million vegans in the UK. That's around 3.6 per cent of the population ditching cow's milk in favour of a non-dairy alternative.

Experts have long warned of the dangers of plant-based-milks as despite the additional ingredients they still do not have the nutritional value of cow's milk.

A 2023 study in the US analysed more than 200 brands of almond, oat and soy milk sold in America for their calcium, vitamin D and protein content.

Almost 9 in 10 were found to be nutritionally inferior — containing less of at least one of three key nutrients — compared to cow's milk.

Nutritionists have previously warned that a large proportion of certain oat milks are just oil.

This may be because so-called ‘barista editions’ of oat milk – used in many drinks bought from coffee shops – are only about 10 per cent oat.

The rest is water mixed with oils and emulsifiers that keep the ingredients blended and allow it to froth like dairy milk when heated.

And these oils can still contribute to raised cholesterol levels when consumed excessively, says Dr Oliver Guttmann, consultant cardiologist at The Wellington Hospital in London.

‘Drinking the frothy kind of oat milk that has a higher fat content could cause high cholesterol if you’re drinking it in excess,’ he told the Mail on Sunday earlier this year.

Researchers have also suggested that plant-based-milks are linked to depression.

Scientists, who tracked more than 350,000 Britons, discovered those opting for alternative milks were more likely to suffer from depression than those who drank semi-skimmed cow's milk.

Researchers at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, southern China, tracked the diets and mental health of participants for more than a decade.

They found those drinking semi-skimmed cow's milk were 12 per cent less likely to be depressed and 10 per cent less likely to have anxiety.

In contrast, who consumed plant-based milks had a 14 per cent increased chance of depression.

Writing in the journal, Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers said: 'Milk is a rich source of nutrients such as lactose, lipids, protein and minerals, which are essential for maintaining human health.

'The fatty acid profile of semi-skimmed milk might provide greater cerebral [brain] protection compared to full cream milk and skimmed milk, thereby potentially reducing the risk of both depression and anxiety.

'These findings suggest that semi-skimmed milk may have a protective effect against these mental health conditions, presenting new prospects for dietary interventions.'