Ireland's food safety authority has advised that teenagers should not rely on plant-based dairy alternatives, according to The Irish Times. The recommendation was reported by the newspaper on Monday, 12 October 2026.
The Irish Times describes the body as a food watchdog and reports that its guidance covers adolescents specifically. The advice concerns plant-based products positioned as alternatives to dairy.
The report does not set out the reasoning behind the recommendation, and no further details of the guidance were available in the material reviewed. The Irish Times does not specify which products fall within the advice or what age range it covers.
Plant-based dairy alternatives include drinks and other products made from sources such as oats, soy, almonds and rice, which are often marketed as substitutes for cow's milk. The Irish Times report does not state how the watchdog's position compares with guidance in other countries, nor whether the advice applies to adults as well as teenagers.
The recommendation comes amid wider public interest in plant-based diets, though the reporting does not link the guidance to any specific incident or review. The Irish Times also does not indicate whether the watchdog's advice is binding or advisory in nature.
What to watch next: whether the food watchdog publishes the full guidance and the evidence behind it, and how schools, parents and manufacturers respond to the recommendation.
