Vegetable milk as probiotic and prebiotic foods.

Vegetable milks are fast gaining attention on the global scale as the possible alternatives due to concerns associated with milk consumption. In particular, issues varying from allergenic constituents and lactose intolerance to social and religious beliefs among consumers have induced an increase in the market demand for vegetable milks. Their concomitant nutritional and bioactive components appraise them of the suitable profile for the food-based carriage and delivery of probiotics. More so, the presence of prebiotics in their natural configuration makes them serviceable for the assurance of the needed probiotic viability, subsequent to their exposure to digestive conditions. On another note, their availability, ease of processing, and cost-effectiveness have been established as other possible rationales behind their adoption. This chapter comprehensively delineates the probiotic and prebiotic food-usage of vegetable milks. Captions related with consumer concerns, processing operations, nutritional and prebiotic constitutions, metabolic interactions during probiotic fermentation, and associated health benefits of vegetable milks are discoursed.