8 Feb 2022

Potato milk hits UK supermarket shelves

10:40 am on 8 February 2022

Described as "deliciously creamy" and the "perfect foam" for your cuppa, potato milk is the latest contender to the plant milk market.

potato farming

Photo: 123rf

Potato milk is hitting UK supermarket shelves this week.

Milk developer at Lund University professor Eva Tornberg said she was working with a potato starch company in Sweden when she came up with the idea.

The amino acid composition of potato protein is much like milk and egg, she said.

"I thought perhaps it would be good to use potato protein to make a milk."

Potato milk is made with rapeseed oil, which has 10 percent of omega 3 oils, Tornberg said.

This usually comes from things like fish, making it hard for vegans to get, she said.

Potato protein is also allergen-free.

The milk has the potential to be one of the most sustainable options on the market.

"The potato is very sustainable, you get a very high yeild when you cultivate potatoes. You can get 40 to 60 tonnes per hectare compared to for example oat, you only get 4 tonnes per hectare."

"You don't need so much water, it's very little water demanding, it's only 267 litre per kilo or potato, whereas you take almond, for example needs 16,000 litres of water per kilo."

So, what does it taste like? Tornberg says it's rather neutral with a slight taste of potato.

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