Toronto 
Credit: Sproud
A Swedish drink, Sproud, based on pea protein is launching in Canada. According to the manufacturer, Sproud is a healthy dairy alternative for those who care about water usage in producing milk as it uses less water than traditional dairy or almonds.
Amongst non dairy alternatives, to produce 1 litre of milk, almond needs on approximate 371 litres of water and rice 270 litres of water, with soy and oat needing just 28 and 48 litres respectively. The Sproud news release does not say how much water is required to produce 1 liter of milk, but only states ” it is made from the remarkable pea which uses less water than traditional dairy or almonds making it one of the most sustainable plant-based proteins. ”
In case of protein content, pea-based beverages are higher in protein than almond-based beverages and oat beverages. Soy milk is the only non-dairy alternative that comes near real milk with one serving (240 mL) of Cow’s milk provides protein equivalent to 59% of the RDA in toddlers and 40.4% of the RDA in young children and soy milk containing protein equivalent to 53% and 36.8% of RDA in toddlers and young children, respectively.
To compare with soy milk, Sproud contains 2 grams of protein per 100 ml, while soy milk has 3.3 grams.
Credit: Sproud
But if you are looking for an beverage for yourself, Sproud is very promising with an impressive 365-day shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated until opened.
Sproud in Canada
Sproud will be launched with four varieties – Original, Unsweetened, Chocolate and a professional formula developed for and by baristas in a 1 liter (33.8 oz) pack.
Sproud contains no dairy, soy, nuts or gluten and is also non GMO.
According to the website, Sproud Original contains, Water, pea protein (2,5%), agave syrup, rapeseed oil, dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, gluten-free oat oil, salt, vitamin B12, riboflavin (B2) and vitamin D2.
Sproud will be available at Whole Foods West, and in other leading retailers starting in April, as well as online on Amazon. The suggested retail price is CAD 4.99 for a 1 liter pack.
