Got Milk? The Rise of Alternative Dairy
By Avery Tanner
Milk no longer comes just from cows. It comes from soybeans, nuts, oats, hemp, coconut — and the list goes on.
Alternative milks have replaced regular cow’s milk for many consumers. While the traditional milk market suffers, the alternative milk industry has grown in recent years.
Sales of non-dairy milk around the world more than doubled between 2009 and 2015, according to a study by Dr. Meagan Bridges of the University of Virginia Health System.
Jordan Fronk is making her own version of alternative milk in Austin, TX with her company Fronks. Fronk’s original motivation to consume less dairy was due to allergy season, but quickly grew into something more.
Fronk had been making her own nut milks for family and friends for about a year when she noticed a huge hole in the market for clean and organic nut milk. Instead of waiting for someone else to fill the market hole, Fronk did it herself.
The company has grown from the owner delivering her products to doorsteps herself to being stocked in retailers across Texas and being offered through several home delivery services.
To make Fronks, nuts are soaked, sprouted, and blended together before being strained to make a smooth end result. The beverage tastes as close to cow’s milk as possible, with less nut flavor than most nut milks and a refreshing texture that doesn’t leave any unwanted residue.
Coffee shops have been a large part of the growth of Fronks in Austin. “I’m excited to see how many Fronks Lattes we can get on menus across Austin and beyond,” says Fronk.
Merit Coffee, which recently opened two locations in Austin, offers four types of alternatives to regular milk for their customers, said Elly Nichols, a barista at Merit. These include almond, soy, coconut, and oat.
“Almost half of our drinks are made with alternative milks and almond is by far the most popular,” Nichols says.
Nichols recommends oat milk as having the best texture. “It’s usually the creamiest and has the richest feeling while others tend to be a little thinner,” says Nichols.
Oat milk producer Oatly has grown at such a large rate that there was a shortage of Oatly products last year. Consumers were paying more than four-times the normal price of oat milk from third-party vendors on Amazon because the Oatly website had sold out of products.
Non-dairy alternative milks have become an increasingly wide segment of food products sold in grocery stories. Central Market lists more than 70 dairy alternatives on their website, ranging from cashew milk to banana milk, while Whole Foods lists more than 200 options for non-dairy products.
Grand View Research, Inc. predicts that the global dairy alternatives market will reach a value of over 41 billion dollars by 2025. As the industry grows, so does the criticism around it.
In Europe, it is illegal to refer to alternative milk as “milk” because it was not produced by a lactating animal. Instead, many call it “mylk.” This change is making its way to the United States too.
The FDA says using the name “milk” for products that don’t have the components of actual dairy misleads consumers into thinking they are getting something that they are not.
Fronk says she appreciates the FDA’s work in regulating the industry but that the ultimate decision should lie in the hands of the consumer.
“Plant-based products are certainly very popular, but I think education is key and customers must be proactive about reading ingredients and making firm decisions on what they choose to put in their own bodies,” says Fronk.
No matter what you call it, the alternative milk section continues to expand as consumers demand more dairy-free options.
A Closer Look at the Non-Dairy Milks Found in Grocery Stores
MALK Organic Almond Milk is more beige in color than traditional cow’s milk. While the texture is pretty similar, the beverage tastes more watery than creamy. There is a strong hint of almond flavor throughout.
Ripple Plant-based Half & Half looks a lot like milk and is thicker to match the typical consistency of Half & Half. The taste is pleasant and sweet, working well in coffee and smoothies. The main ingredients are water, sunflower oil, and pea protein.
Elmhurst Milked Oats is darker than regular milk and looks watery. The drink is sweet and has a distinct aftertaste of oats. Because it isn’t grainy, it feels the most like milk when you sip it.
