The Rise of Plant-Based and Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives
Humans have been drinking cow’s milk and enjoying milk-fat products for at least 8,000 years1. Why is milk among the most basic and widespread food substances?
The nutritious substance has often been instrumental in human survival and is still considered essential to growth and health. Cow’s milk supplies high-quality protein for muscle health, fats for energy, and calcium for bone growth and strength. However, direct consumption of cow’s milk is declining.
The Decline in Fluid Cow’s Milk Consumption
Fluid milk consumption has decreased in the USA by around a third, particularly among Gen Z, with a 36% reduction over the past decade2. So, what’s changed? While milk use has historically been associated with robust health, it has also contributed to considerable waste, land and water pollution, and various diseases. However, awareness of these concerns is growing.
For example, it would have taken generations for adult humans to overcome their natural lactose intolerance by developing a “lactose persistence” mutation. Many still cannot digest the sugars in milk, with 30 to 50 million American adults (up to two in every ten) reporting uncomfortable or distressing lactose intolerance3. Milk consumption can cause severe allergies and may have various unwelcome additives, including hormones and antibiotics.
In addition, cows and their manure produce greenhouse gas emissions, which are considered among the top ten most significant contributors to the climate crisis. Poor manure and fertilizer management also pollute water resources, while dairy and feed farming leads to the loss of ecologically critical areas and biodiversity.
Not least, animal welfare concerns are growing, with increasing numbers of Americans turning to a plant-based diet – around 3% of the population is vegan4. At the same time, just over one in every ten (11%) is flexitarian – reducing meat and prioritizing plant-based foods5, while many others are cutting down on animal products.
Vegetarian and vegan options are easier to find today than ever before, with plant-based milk alternatives among the first products available to non-animal product consumers. Chinese records mention soya milk as early as the 1400s, with the first retail non-dairy soya milk being produced in 1910 in Europe6.
Initially produced for those eschewing cow’s milk and vegans, milk alternatives are now popular among flexitarians, reducers, lactose intolerant consumers, and the general population for health, environmental, and compassionate reasons.
The Rise of Alt Milks
Now encompassing soya and coconut, almond, rice, oat, hemp, and other nut and vegetable-based fluids, the alt milk market represents 2.71 billion USD in 20247. The category has grown by over two billion since 2019 and continues to increase.
These alt milks are nutritious, often fortified with vitamins and calcium, and soya beans are sustainable and cost-effective. Taste dominates the choice of milk, with almond products being a good starting point, as they taste pleasant and mild. Soya is creamier but has more of an acquired taste, while coconut milk offers a good texture and mouthfeel. Rice milk is the sweetest choice but is also watery.
The range of alternative plants and qualities is wide enough to accommodate numerous applications and preferences. However, rely on Advanced Biotech’s naturally plant-based and concentrated flavor and aroma ingredients to ensure your nut and vegetable milk alternative products are palatable and appealing.
Join the Rising Dairy-Free Milk Trend With Advanced Biotech
Vegan and vegetarian foods are super-hot right now, even among omnivores. So, create or enhance your plant-based taste and odor profile using our nutty pyrazines, flavorful oleoresins, layered distillates, and other natural extracts. Contact us for an ingredient trial or to order your alt milk flavor and aroma solutions.
1 https://medium.com/@lanavalente/the-origins-of-milk-why-did-the-first-cow-milker-milk-the-cow-c41e8ef761d6
2 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1466591/milk-consumption-reduction-by-generation-us/
3 https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/01/29/what-is-lactose-intolerance/72252030007/
4 https://ppuglobe.com/2024/03/has-veganism-become-irrelevant/
5 https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1466781/share-of-us-consumers-following-a-flexitarian-diet
6 https://viva.org.uk/health/why-animal-products-harm/dairy-products-health/history-of-plant-milks/
7 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238235/forecast-of-the-retail-sales-of-milk-alternatives/