The fluoride contents of commercially-available soya milks in the UK

Key Points Provides information on the fluoride content of soya milks, highlighting the wide range of fluoride concentrations seen in soya milks in the UK market. Stresses the need for dental professionals to evaluate their child patients' daily fluoride intake when prescribing appropriate preventive therapies. Concludes that soya milks do not pose an increased risk for the development of dental fluorosis. Background In some parts of the world, soya milks are found to be a significant source of fluoride (F). Among western commercial markets, although there has been a sustained increase in soya milk products available for purchase, there are limited data on their F content. Objective To determine the F content of soya milk products available in the UK market including fresh and ultra-high temperature products in addition to sweetened and unsweetened soya milks. Materials and methods Fifty-two traditional and UK-produced soya milk samples commercially available in northeast England were analysed to determine their F concentration using a modified hexamethyldisiloxane-facilitated diffusion method with a F-ion-selective electrode coupled to a potentiometer. Results The median F concentration of all products was 0.293 μg/ml ranging from 0.015 μg/ml to 0.964 μg/ml. The median F concentration of ultra-high temperature (UHT) (n = 42) milks was 0.272 μg/ml lower than 0.321 μg/ml obtained for fresh (n = 10) soya milks. Organic soya milks contained less F compared with non-organic for sweetened and unsweetened categories. Conclusion Commercially available soya milks in the UK do not pose an increased risk for dental fluorosis development. Further research is necessary into the manufacturing process of soya milks, which may influence the overall F content of the end product.