FAQ

Oatly use calcium carbonate or a combination of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate (dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate from ore). In the US our calcium is derived from limestone.  

Calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate are both used as supplements in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Foods, such as cereals and flour, are often fortified with calcium carbonate, while liquids, such as juices, are more often fortified with calcium phosphate or other salts due to differences in pH. Calcium phosphate is also used in therapeutic foods for pregnant or lactating women or children with malnutrition. 

There is a misconception that cow’s milk is essential for strong bones and teeth. However, it is the calcium, rather than the cow’s milk which is key, along with other lifestyle factors known to help individuals achieve maximal peak bone mass early in life. 

Bioavailability of nutrients has received considerable attention in the past few decades. The bioavailability of calcium is defined as 1) the fraction of dietary calcium that is available for absorption, 2) the amount of calcium that is absorbed, and 3) the extent to which the calcium is used for bone mineralization. Each of these steps are affected by a number of other factors in addition to its form, including the age of the individual, the combination of foods eaten in the meal, the total calcium intake, and the person’s blood levels of vitamin D. The evidence regarding the bioavailability of different foods/types of calcium in humans is inconclusive, due to difficulties in measuring small differences in bone mineralization between different foods/types of calcium and due to the numerous factors that may affect the outcome (namely bone health). However, the absorption of calcium salts (including those typically used in fortified foods and drinks) has been estimated to be similar to that in cow’s milk (calcium bioavailability within 10%).  

As the bioavailability of calcium in fortified foods is dependent on the actual amount of added calcium, it is important to add sufficient calcium to plant-based dairy alternatives. Oatly fortifies its oat drinks with calcium at similar levels to that found in traditional cow’s milk, to ensure that our consumers get the same nutritional benefit. 

Whilst there are variations across global markets, Oatly oat drinks (except organic oat drinks) typically contain 120 mg calcium/100 ml (USA: 350 mg/240 mL cup), similar to that in cow's milk. They're also typically fortified with other nutrients including vitamin D, which supports normal calcium absorption and bone health as well as iodine, riboflavin, vitamins B12.

China: Calcium fortification in all drinks except Oatly Organic/Pistachio/Tea Master/Juice Master oat milks.

Oatly’s Oatgurt is also typically fortified, including calcium, iodine, vitamins B12 and D.

This is a difficult question as dietary needs differ. These needs will depend on the extent of the CKD, treatment status, and any other health considerations. 

The following values for Australia, China, EU and UK and USA may be useful when deciding whether Oatly drinks are suitable and how much can be consumed daily.

Australia:

Products (per 100 ml)

SEMI (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 80 mg
Potassium: 146 mg
Protein: 1.1 g
Salt: 0.10 g

BARISTA EDITION (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 105 mg
Potassium: 214 mg
Protein: 1.1 g
Salt: 0.10 g

EU and UK:

Products (per 100 ml)

LIGHT (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 80 mg
Potassium: 146 mg
Protein: 1 & 1.1 g
Salt: 0.10 g

SEMI (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 80 mg
Potassium: 146 mg
Protein: 1.1 g
Salt: 0.10 g

WHOLE (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 80 mg
Potassium: 146 mg
Protein: 1.1 g
Salt: 0.10 g

BARISTA EDITION (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 105 mg
Potassium: 214 mg
Protein: 1.1 g
Salt: 0.10 g

NO SUGARS (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 80 mg
Potassium: 146 mg
Protein: 1 g
Salt: 0.12 g

USA:

Products (per 240 ml cup)

LOW FAT (Chilled)
Phosphorus: 270 mg
Potassium: 390 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 100 mg

ORIGINAL (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 270 mg
Potassium: 390 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 100 mg

FULL FAT (Chilled)
Phosphorus: 270 mg
Potassium: 390 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 100 mg

BARISTA EDITION (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 270 mg
Potassium: 390 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 100 mg

UNSWEETENED (Chilled)
Phosphorus: 220 mg
Potassium: 390 mg
Protein: 0 g
Sodium: 115 mg

SUPER BASIC (Chilled)
Phosphorus: 50 mg
Potassium: 70 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 110 mg

CHOCOLATE (Ambient/Chilled)
Phosphorus: 120 mg
Potassium: 200 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 150 mg

Due to its buffering properties, dipotassium phosphate is frequently used as an ‘acidity regulator`. It's used particularly to prevent acidic coffee (with its low pH) from lowering the pH of coffee drinks to a degree that would result in the 'feathering' (splitting or precipitation) of the plant-based drink. 

It's an approved additive within the EU as well as numerous other countries (including the USA, where the FDA has granted it GRAS [Generally Recognised As Safe] status). 

EU/UK and other non-US markets: To be labelled ‘gluten-free’ products must contain no more than 20 ppm of gluten. We can’t currently guarantee that our products have that low a gluten content. That said, we do have strict requirements regarding the purity of the oats we use and we're careful to control and minimise gluten cross-contamination as much as possible. 

USA: Our U.S range is made with Canadian gluten free oats and all our packs are certified ‘Gluten Free’. 

Countries vary in their guidance regarding the suitability of plant-based drinks to children.

The general recommendations regarding at what age these are suitable as a main drink are country specific:

UK/Sweden: Oatly plain fortified drinks can be used in cooking for most babies over 6 months of age.​ Usually, they are suitable as a main drink from 1 year of age.  

The NHS  advice is “You can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, oat or almond drinks, from the age of 1 as part of a healthy, balanced diet”. 

If in doubt, please contact your professional organisation. 

EU/UK: Most products, including all unflavoured drinks are manufactured without any added sugar or sweeteners. The sugar found in these products, about 3.5 g/100 ml, is primarily maltose and is derived from the starch found in our oats. It gets broken down by our enzymatic process (designed to transform oats into a liquid form), using the same type of enzymes as the human body when converting starch to sugar during digestion. Interestingly, whilst sugars are created, the caloric/energy content is unaffected.

The maltose content of our oat drink is similar to the lactose content of cow's milk. Sugars are shown on the nutrition label.

EFSA recently considered the tolerable upper intake level for dietary sugars. In this report it categorized plant-based drinks as core foods, along with milk and dairy. Furthermore, these core foods were not regarded as needing dietary restriction, unlike other non-core, sugar containing foods which have been linked to poor health outcomes.

USA: Whilst our US drinks are manufactured in a similar way to our other markets, in particular without any added sugar, FDA guidance on sugar labelling requires that any sugar created during a product’s production process should be categorised as 'added', which is the only reason we have “added sugar” on the nutrition labels of our unflavoured drinks in the USA (about 7 g sugar/ 240 mL cup).

You can read more about this process here.

ALL MARKETS: Our flavoured drinks, chocolate and vanilla, vanilla custard, flavoured oatgurt and ice cream contain added sugar. However, added sugar is kept to the minimum amount required to achieve the desired taste. 

Oatly products also provide a number of other important nutrients and can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

“No Sugar” or “Unsweetened” options are now available in some markets. Where:

• “No Sugar” – has a similar amount of carbohydrate as regular oat drink, but zero sugars
• “Unsweetened”- has both a lower amount of carbohydrate and zero sugars

In many global markets Oatly products are fortified with vitamin D2 which is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The evidence regarding whether vitamin D2 and D3 are bioequivalent is inconclusive. However, vitamin D2 is considered a good alternative to vitamin D3. 

Whilst markets differ, our drinks (except our organic drinks as current legislation does not allow this*) and our Oatgurt are typically fortified with vitamin D, containing 1.1 µg/100 ml (USA: 3.6 µg per 240 mL cup). On many markets our drinks and gurts are fortified with other nutrients including calcium, iodine, riboflavin and vitamin B12 (and in the USA vitamin A and DHA).  

The vitamin D2 is derived from yeast in all markets except USA, where it is derived from plants.

UK: There are clear recommendations regarding vitamin D supplements. 

*except in Sweden where organic drinks may also be fortified with vitamin D.