MILKAPEDIA RESEARCH GUIDE
The Milkapedia Milk Evidence Map
Not every “milk” has the same kind of research behind it. Cow milk may have direct food-composition data; a rare seed milk may have strong data for the seed but little analysis of the strained drink. This map makes that difference visible across all 54 Milkapedia entries.
Why this map exists
A source can be authoritative and still be the wrong type of evidence for a claim. Whole-seed nutrition does not automatically equal the nutrition of seed milk. A Codex standard can define butter without being a nutrient database. A camel-milk study can describe one herd or lactation stage without establishing a universal value for every camel milk.
Milkapedia therefore records the primary evidence basis behind each entry. This is not a score and it is not a ranking of which milk is “better.” It tells you what kind of evidence the page can responsibly use.
How to read the evidence basis
Finished-product evidence
Research directly measures a beverage or dairy product. It is the strongest match for finished-drink composition, but one study still does not represent every brand or recipe.
Ingredient-level evidence
Research measures the nut, seed, grain, legume, or tuber. Milkapedia uses it for ingredient background and does not silently turn those numbers into a cup of milk.
Species composition
Animal-milk research measures milk from a species. Breed, feed, geography, season, and lactation stage can cause real variation, so ranges matter.
Standards & regulations
Codex or national regulations define what a product is. They answer identity/composition questions; they are not substitutes for a current nutrient analysis.
All 54 entries: primary source basis
Snapshot based on Milkapedia's September 2026 source review and the repaired source set in this build. “Limited finished-drink data” means Milkapedia intentionally avoids assigning whole-ingredient values to the drink.
| Entry | Family | Primary evidence basis | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaca Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Bison Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Camel Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Cow Milk | Animal | Species composition + reference data | Composition varies with breed, diet, lactation stage, season, and sampling. |
| Donkey Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Goat Milk | Animal | Species composition + reference data | Composition varies with breed, diet, lactation stage, season, and sampling. |
| Horse Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Llama Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Reindeer Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Sheep Milk | Animal | Species composition + reference data | Composition varies with breed, diet, lactation stage, season, and sampling. |
| Water Buffalo Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Yak Milk | Animal | Species-specific study/review | Published composition data are treated as ranges rather than a universal recipe. |
| Almond Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Barley Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Brazil Nut Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Cashew Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Chia Seed Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Coconut Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Flax Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Egusi Milk | Plant | Egusi seed studies; limited finished-drink data | Seed chemistry is background only; Milkapedia does not convert it into a universal beverage profile. |
| Hazelnut Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Hemp Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Macadamia Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Melon Seed Milk | Plant | Finished-beverage processing studies | Published melon-milk studies analyze experimental formulations; processing changes the product, so one formulation is not treated as universal. |
| Oat Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Pea Milk | Plant | Beverage-level review/study | Finished-product protein evidence exists; formulation and fortification vary by brand. |
| Peanut Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Pecan Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Pine Nut Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Pistachio Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Pumpkin Seed Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Quinoa Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Rice Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Sacha Inchi Milk | Plant | Beverage-development study + seed study | Seed composition is kept separate from the experimental finished drink. |
| Sesame Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Soy Milk | Plant | Commercial beverage study + ingredient context | At least one source examines finished plant drinks; brand formulation and fortification still vary. |
| Sunflower Seed Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Tigernut Milk | Plant | Ingredient/traditional-product evidence | Traditional horchata evidence and ingredient context do not define every modern tigernut drink. |
| Walnut Milk | Plant | Ingredient-level evidence; limited finished-drink data | Whole nut/seed/grain composition is background, not a per-cup beverage value. |
| Watermelon Seed Milk | Plant | Beverage-in-formulation study + seed context | Evidence includes watermelon-seed milk used in a fermented formulation; no universal per-cup profile is assumed. |
| Cultured Buttermilk | Fermented | Fermented-milk standard + product context | The standard establishes the category; recipe, culture, and base milk remain variable. |
| Filmjölk | Fermented | Product-specific fermentation research + standard/context | Culture, milk base, and process can change composition and texture. |
| Kefir | Fermented | Product-specific fermentation research + standard/context | Culture, milk base, and process can change composition and texture. |
| Kumis | Fermented | Fermented-milk standard + product context | The standard establishes the category; recipe, culture, and base milk remain variable. |
| Viili | Fermented | Product-specific fermentation research + standard/context | Culture, milk base, and process can change composition and texture. |
| Yogurt | Fermented | Food-composition reference + fermented-milk standard | The cited standard defines product characteristics; nutrition depends on milk and formulation. |
| Butter | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
| Cheese | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
| Condensed Milk | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
| Cream | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
| Evaporated Milk | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
| Ghee | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
| Ice Cream | Processed dairy | U.S. regulation + current composition reference | Regulation defines product identity; nutrient examples depend on formulation and serving. |
| Powdered Milk | Processed dairy | Codex standard + current composition reference | The standard defines the product; example nutrition is kept separate from the legal definition. |
What this changes when you compare milks
Comparisons are safest when the underlying measurements are actually comparable: the same serving basis, the same product form, and reasonably similar analytical methods. A raw Brazil-nut value and a fortified almond beverage label may both be accurate, but they answer different questions. Milkapedia's comparison approach is therefore to separate ingredient composition, finished beverage composition, and product standards before drawing conclusions.
For the detailed rules behind this approach, see How Milkapedia Evaluates Milk Evidence.