Whether you pour it, spread it, slice it or spoon it—plant-based dairy options are making inroads in consumer kitchens. Retail 2021 data from the Good Food Institute and SPINS showed plant-based milk category sales at $2.6 billion alone with one- and three-year growth figures of 4% and 33% respectively. Moreover, plant-based milks enjoyed a 16% share of market two years ago and 42% share of household penetration.

Taking a more recent look at the plant-based alternatives category was 84.51°, a Cincinnati-retail data and consumer insights firm (aligned with that Kroger). Its 2022 September Consumer Digest looked at a range of shopper trends and behavioral analytics—including plant-based alternatives. 

“Shoppers are purchasing plant-based alternatives for a variety of reasons including health, environmental benefits, to save, and because of the wide variety now available,” said its experts. “The age demographic of those purchasing plant-based options skews young—as 59% of shoppers between 18-34 have engaged in the category vs 40% of shoppers 50+,” the authors noted. 

Two of the four most trafficked plant-based categories are plant-based dairy options. Based on surveys, 84.51° reported most common categories for plant-based switching are milk alternatives (25%) frozen meat alternatives (18%), coffee creamer alternatives (14%) and frozen meal alternatives (14%).

Moo-ve Over

Many new offerings are changing the category for plant-based milks, creamers and related beverages. There are many industry competitors but two in particular--Danone North America and Califia Farms—drive much of the new product news.

Califia has launched nearly a dozen new items in the past 12 months alone. With cold coffee beverage sales on the rise, Califia used an almond and oat milk blend in new Iced Café Mixers (Vanilla Sweet Crème, Caramel Crème), which are formulated to maintain “sweet, vivid flavor” even as ice melts in the coffee. Other new offerings included Califia Heavy Whip, a one-for-one plant-based swap for heavy whipping cream; a dairy-free Pumpkin Spice Oat Barista Blend; and a Mint Chip Oat Creamer.

Califia greeted 2023 with still more offerings including USDA certified Organic Oatmilk and Almondmilk—each with just three ingredients (purified water, sea salt, oats/almonds) and no oils or gums. Califia also extended its overall line with a new Chocolate Oatmilk; and two 72oz family-friendly versions of its Unsweetened Almondmilk and Extra Creamy Oatmilk. 

Danone has been equally active. It greeted 2023 with new Silk Mocha Almond Creamer and So Delicious Dairy Free French Vanilla Coconutmilk Creamer. It noted that flexitarianism keeps growing, plant-based creamer sales increased by 27.6% in 2022, and plant-based creamers make up 10.6% of the overall creamer category, according to national retail sales data.

Last fall saw Danone also expand its Honest to Goodness line of globally inspired plant-based coffee creamers. New Chantilly Cream and Sri Lankan Cinnamon Brown Sugar varieties join a lineup that includes Madagascan Vanilla Bean and Himalayan Salted Caramel. Last but not least, Danone came back this January with Whole Fat and 2% Reduced Fat So Delicious Dairy Free Wondermilk products. They incorporate oat milk, coconut milk, coconut oil soy protein isolate and are a good source of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, B12, riboflavin and phosphorus, the company says. The milks carry a suggested retail of $4.99 for a 59oz carton.

Other active category competitors include Chile’s NotCo. (a newly certified B Corp brand), Milkadamia, Burr Ridge, Ill., and Nestlé USA, Arlington, Va. 

Nestlé used this year’s Natural Products Expo West to introduce natural bliss Oat Milk. The brand is expanding beyond the creamer aisle with its first plant-based milk beverage: natural bliss Oat Milk, available in 64oz Original and Unsweetened varieties. It debuts in May 2023 and features a blend of oats and fava bean protein, with 5g of protein per serving and less sugar than dairy milk.

NotCo introduced NotMilk in the United States in 2020 and also used this year’s NatExpo West to preview several additional plant-based milks. Scheduled to for launch are NotMilk Unsweetened Vanilla (this June); two flavors of NotMilk HiPro (launching fall 2023) a high protein shake with 20g of plant protein per serving; and NotMilk Barista (launching fall 2023), a chickpea and oat blend that can produce hot or cold foam. 

Milkadamia is a brand and business dedicated to macadamia nut oil products. Last year it introduced Salted Caramel and Pumpkin Pie milks. It also ended the year at with a new ready-to-drink Milk Tea featuring black tea and macadamia milk. It’s packaged in 32oz cartons and has a suggested retail price of $6.99. 

Also focused on macadamias is PlantBaby, Kauai, Hawaii. It debuted in late 2021 with kid-friendly Kiki Milk, an all-organic blend including grains, seeds, coconut and banana. This February the company returned with new PlantBaby Mac Nut Kiki Milk made from organic macadamia nuts, organic cashews, organic Brazil nuts, organic sprouted pumpkin seeds, organic oats, organic coconut sugar and organic coconuts.

Another company dedicated to its ingredient resource is Singapore’s WhatIF Foods & Ingredients Pte Ltd (WhatIF Foods). Last November saw it begin distributing plant-based milks and noodles featuring the Bambara Groundnut (“BamNut”), a legume related to peanuts. WhatIF’s BamNut Milk is made with just three ingredients (water, BamNuts and coconut oil), is fortified with minerals, free of any gums, stabilizers and added sweeteners. Shelf-stable BamNut Milks come in three varieties: Barista, Everyday, and Airy, a lightweight variety with similar taste but only 80 calories.

SunOpta Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn., also closed out last year with two new lines. It recast its former Rice Dream line as Dream Organic Ricemilk with a refreshed look and new “Whole” and 2% Fat varieties. West Life, formerly known as Westsoy, also introduced 16g Protein Smoothie Blends in Chocolate and Unsweetened Plain flavors.

Say Cheeze! 

Lots of companies have targeted the plant-based cheese category. One of the leaders has been Bel Brands USA (part of France’s Bel Group). Last year saw it introduce a line of offerings including Babybel Plant-Based mini snacking cheese. Four new Nurishh plant-based cheeses were Cubes (Cheddar, Hot Pepper), Parmesan Style Shreds, Hot Pepper Style Slices and a Slices variety pack. This year saw Bel come back with another one of its big names as well: The Laughing Cow Plant-Based snackable cheese wedges. In other parmesan news, Sister River Foods, Central Point, Ore., last year extended its parma! plant-based, vegan parmesan cheese line with Nut Free Jalapeno Bacon and Nut Free Garlic Basil varieties.

Another active competitor is Canada’s Daiya Foods Inc., Burnaby, B.C. Last spring saw it extend its “Cheeze” line with an Italian 4 Cheeze Blend, Feta and Grilling Cheeze Blocks, and Garlic & Herbs Cream Cheeze. Another foreign company targeting US distribution is South Korea’s Armored Fresh. Last fall it branched into as many 100 New York City supermarkets with three varieties of Armored Fresh cubed cheese in three varieties: Cheddar, Plain, Blueberry. The company says it uses “an innovative technique that mimics the process of creating dairy cheese, substituting almond milk and plant-based lactic acid.”

Yet another new face comes from the West Coast. Last spring saw Los Angeles-based Grounded Foods Co. introduce a Hemp Seed Cream Cheese (Onion & Chives), Hemp Seed GOAT Cheese (Garlic, Lemon & Thyme), and a CHEESE FREE CHEESE squeeze-on sauce. Unlike nut- or coconut oil-based alternatives, Grounded cheeses are primarily made from hemp seed and imperfect cauliflower, the company says.

There’s more to cheese spreads. Prosperity Organic Foods, Inc., Boise, Idaho, used last year’s Natural Products Expo West to introduce Cheesy Spreadables by Melt Organic. They debuted in four flavors—Original, Queso Picante, Everything and Cool Garlic Herb—and use pea protein fermented by shitake mushroom mycelia. Elsewhere, Greenleaf Foods, SPC (Maple Leaf Foods) uses fermented tofu in its new Chao Creamery Cantina-Style Plant-Based Queso. Another Canadian giant, McCain Foods Ltd., introduced a broad line of plant-based dips, cream cheese-style and artisan cheese-style spreads. Cheese-style spreads include Sun-dried Tomato Caprese, and Smoked Gouda. 

Culture Club

One of the largest sections in the dairycase—yogurt—also has its plant-based options

Forager Project LLC, Indio, Calif., used this year’s Natural Products Expo West to introduce Honey Alternative Cashewmilk Yogurt (a 2023 NEXTY Awards finalist) along with a new Peach flavor to its cashewmilk yogurt pouches line. Interestingly, Honey Alternative Yogurt is 100% bee-free, utilizes fruit juices and organic cane sugar instead of real honey to replicate honey’s sweet and distinctive flavor. Another nut-based California company is almond specialist Ayo Foods LLC, Delano, Calif. After launching many flavored options, the company last year launched a versatile, 16oz Plain variety for smoothies, dips.

Also pursuing a sustainability angle was Culina Yogurt, Austin, Texas. This “craft fermented” plant-based yogurt (organic coconut base) boasts inventive flavors such as Blueberry Lavender and Strawberry Rose. Last year saw the company shift from glass jars to recyclable 5oz plastic cups. 

There was even more “new news” involving spreads. Last December saw Chicago’s Kraft-Heinz Company extend its popular Philadelphia cream cheese brand with Philadelphia Plant-Based. It debuted in Southeast markets with a planned 2023 rollout. Ingredients include coconut oil, modified potato starch and faba bean protein. 

Also looking to grow the category are Schuman Cheese, Fairfield, N.J., and McCain Foods Ltd., Toronto. Schuman’s Vevan Foods business introduced a four-item line of Vevan UnCreamCheese. Varieties include Plain, Caramelized Peach & Maple, Garlic & Herb, and Strawberries & Cream. For its part, McCain launched a larger, refrigerated Simple Root brand of plant-based dips, cream cheese-style spreads and artisan cheese-style spreads. Simple Root cream cheese style spreads come in four varieties: Original Plain, Garlic & Herb, Strawberry, and Sweet Chili.  

Frozen

Heating things up in the freezercase are new frozen plant-based ice creams and novelties 

Emphasizing coconut milk (since 2005) is NadaMoo!, Austin, Texas. Last spring the company extended its 20-item line with a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough variety with just 200 calories per serving. NadaMoo! came back in September with Frozen Snack Bites in five varieties: Salted Caramel, Mint, Peanut Butter, Mano and Orange Crème. A 3.8oz bag contains six bites and three two-count servings. Suggest retail price is $5.69.

Another Austin-based competitor is GoodPop. Last spring saw it launch plant-based Chocolate Vanilla Sandwiches, billed as the category’s first gluten-free, oat milk frozen dessert sandwich and GoodPop’s first stick-less frozen novelty. This February, the company returned with four fudgy oat milk-based frozen dessert bars: Fudge n' Vanilla Crunch, Double Chocolate Fudge, Fudge n' Caramel Crunch and Mint n' Fudge Chip. All are non-dairy and gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified, 130 calories or less and made with organic and fair-trade ingredients.

Another company emphasizing oat milk is Bubbies Ice Cream, Phoenix. After introducing its first plant-based varieties in 2021, Bubbies came back last spring with three new Bubbies Plant-Based Mochi Ice Cream with Oat Milk flavors: Plant-based Red, Ripe Strawberry, Plant-based Rich Chocolate, and Plant-based Alphonso Mango.

Interestingly enough, mango is just one of the interesting plant-based ice cream flavors from Wildgood Inc. This Montpelier, Vt., firm uses no alternative milks and instead creates its premium pints with a focus on extra virgin olive oil. Last summer saw Wildgood expand with Carmelized Fig, described as “rich fig jam swirled into a creamy, plant-based ice cream with caramelized brown sugar.” 

Danone North America already has multiple So Delicious Dairy Free frozen products based on alternative milks (almond, cashew, coconut, oat, soy). Recognizing that consumers still want optimum taste, it came back last spring with So Delicious Dairy Free Wondermilk Frozen Desserts in five pint and two cone flavors. Officials credit the products’ creamy texture to a “unique blend of dairy-free ingredients” including organic coconut oil, organic sunflower oil, rice starch and pea protein.

One company with a unique proposition is Wicked Kitchen, Minneapolis. Last year it introduced a plant-based collection of ice creams and novelties made with the lupini bean, “a first-to-market product in the U.S.” the company said. Pint varieties are Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookie Dough. Novelties include Chocolate & Almond Sticks, Berry White Sticks, Chocolate, & Red Berry Cones.

Emphasizing hemp this March was Planet Based Foods Global Inc., Vancouver, B.C. Natural Products Expo West attendees were the first to try its namesake brand hemp-based, organic, vegan ice cream. Varieties include Butter Pecan, Chocolate, Coffee Chip and Vanilla.

Got Guidelines?

FDA provides draft labeling recommendations for plant-based milk alternatives

This February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced draft recommendations for the naming of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives (PBMA). The guidance also recommends voluntary nutrient statements for the labeling of some plant-based milk alternatives.

In addition to the increase in market availability and consumption, the variety of alternative products available in the marketplace has also greatly expanded from soy, rice and almond to include cashew, coconut, flaxseed, hazelnut, hemp seed, macadamia nut, oat, pea, peanut, pecan, quinoa and walnut-based beverages. Although these products are made from liquid-based extracts of plant materials, such as tree nuts, legumes, seeds or grains, they are frequently labeled with names that include the term "milk."

The draft guidance recommends that a plant-based milk alternative product that includes the term "milk" in its name (e.g., "soy milk" or "almond milk"), and that has a nutrient composition that is different than milk, include a voluntary nutrient statement that conveys how the product compares with milk based on the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service fluid milk substitutes nutrient criteria. For example, the label could say, "Contains lower amounts of Vitamin D and calcium than milk."

Dairy foods, including milk, are recommended by the Dietary Guidelines as part of a healthy eating pattern and contribute multiple key nutrients, including protein and vitamins A and B-12, along with calcium, potassium and vitamin D, which are currently under-consumed. The Dietary Guidelines only includes fortified soy beverages in the dairy group because their nutrient composition is similar to that of milk. However, the nutritional composition of products varies widely within and across types, and many PBMAs do not contain the same levels of key nutrients as milk.