It is no secret milk consumption has been on the decline for several decades. However, two segments of the milk industry that actually show growth. "Craft" milk is gaining ground as consumers turn to various forms of milk such as organic, almond, soy, and even unpasteurized milk. Guess who has the other segment? Coke. Do you like drinking milk but don't want to drink the large amount of sugar usually found in milk? Check out Coke's Fairlife milk. The Wall Street Journal reported a few months ago:
For decades, conventional dairies tried to attract customers by making milk faster and cheaper. But an unexpected competitor changed the market by favoring trends over tradition.
Move over, dairies. Coke’s got milk.
In 2014, Coca-Cola Co. partnered with Select Milk Producers Inc., a dairy wholesaler, to launch Fairlife ultrafiltered milk with 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk. The product now represents 3% of the dairy-milk market, and over the last 52 weeks, its sales are up 30%—although some retailers recently pulled it after allegations of animal abuse. (The companies say they are working to improve animal practices.)
Now, traditional dairies are trying to catch up to the interloper who reformulated their product, doubled its price and achieved soaring sales.
“In five years, Fairlife went from zero to $450 million in sales,” said Paul Ziemnisky, executive vice president of global innovation for Dairy Management Inc., a trade association based in Rosemont, Ill.
In comparison, after nearly 30 years in the business, Horizon, the largest organic-milk brand, represents 3.7% of the market, according to Information Resources Inc., a market-research firm based in Chicago. DairyPure, the largest conventional brand, excluding store labels, represents 9.7%. Its maker, Dean Foods Co. , started selling dairy products nearly 100 years ago.
In part, Fairlife has succeeded by capitalizing on the latest food trends: Fat is back. Sugar is out. Protein is in. And rather than asking consumers to squint at a nutrition-facts label to figure out how much of each it contains, Fairlife displays the information in large type on the front of its bottle.
According to Mike Saint John, Fairlife’s chief executive officer, consumers had been asking for healthier options. “Juice and water companies were listening,” he said. “Nobody had stepped up the challenge on the milk front.”
Fairlife started with a high-protein “recovery” shake aimed at athletes and then introduced ultrafiltered milk.The milk taste pretty good although it is a little pricey. It is cheapest at Walmart ($3.18) and Target ($3.39). Fairlife makes a more expensive version that has Omega-3's as well. The chocolate milk is pretty tasty even with much less sugar. One benefit of the ultra-filtration process is extended shelf life. The milk stays good for several months. Yes, you read that correctly, months. A bottle purchased Monday states the expiration date is in May.
“When I’ve talked to the dairy industry in the past few years, I’ve said you’re talking to yourselves too much,” said John Crawford, who analyzes the sector for Information Resources. “You know milk is high in calcium and that it’s a good source of protein and a good source of nutrition, but you’re not telling consumers that. If you’re not communicating it, someone else is going to.”
Fairlife’s rapid growth is unheard of in the milk category, Mr. Crawford said, and what it’s been able to do, others would like to replicate.
Borden, Darigold, HP Hood, Prairie Farms and Shamrock Farms have all rolled out high-protein milks. And this year, the organic brands Horizon, Stonyfield and Organic Valley introduced high-protein versions of their products.
To boost protein content, the companies either add protein to their regular milk, or they use “ultrafiltration” to remove lactose, the sugar found in milk, while retaining and concentrating the protein that’s already present.
While regular milk has 8 grams of protein and 12 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving, ultrafiltered Fairlife and Organic Valley Ultra each have 13 grams of protein and 6 grams of sugar....
Many people assume the rising popularity of plant-based milks made from soy, almonds or oats explains the decline. But in the last four years, when milk sales fell by 330 million gallons, plant-based milk sales increased by only 60 million gallons.... Rest of article.
How ironic it is that Coke is leading the way in producing healthier milk.
15 comments:
Sugars in milk dont worry me. It is the enormous amount of puss. It is disgusting.
WOW, Kingfish. Learned something from this Blog every day.
Puss in milk. Never knew this & I'm a big milk drinker.
Well, Now, I'm switching to almond milk or oat milk.
I've purchased some of this milk, as well as the Kroger brand. I enjoy it. It is a little pricey, but worth it if you care about the nutritional content and don't drink too much milk.
That's a good idea. In America, innocent animals bred and used to death. The lifespan of an industrial milk cow is 4 short years.
She is artificially inseminated over and over. She has every calf she gives birth too taken from her. She is fed hormones to increase her milk production and enlarge her udders. And she spends hours each day connected to painful suction devices that eventually lead to her mastitis, or infections of her udders.
The industrial dairy will keep her on antibiotics to stop the infection until she quits producing enough milk to justify feeding and drugging her. She is then unceremonially slaughtered for cheap fast food hamburgers and her bones are ground up and fed back to the herd.
The diet related health problems suffered by humans are well deserved revenge for how animals are treated and slaughtered on industrial farms.
I like plain old 2% White Milk.
2:10- fresh back from hollering at Joe Biden.
Dairy cows make yummy burgers too.
The only humane milk humans should drink is their mother's. And when she stops providing it you should stop drinking milk.
At least the goat milk bill died in committee.
@ 2:10..
You know nothing about animal agriculture. Just another fool parroting PETA lies.
Good God, @3:52. You must have been deprived of your mother's milk and been given formula.
there is no such thing as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, etc.
just sounds better to call it that. would any of you pour soy juice over your organic free-range steel cut oak flakes?
4:49 if they are steel cut, then they are not flakes. If you want flakes, then you must roll them. Learn your oats before you post!
Cow's milk is boring. I want truly exotic milk like dolphin milk and kangaroo milk.
@1:46
Kroger has a store brand compares to fairlife?
After reading Kingfish post I contacted FAIRLIFE & below is their response.
GOT MILK!
Puss = somatic cells
Thanks so much for reaching out; we REALLY appreciate your taking the time to get in touch with us.
Thanks for your question. You might be referencing somatic cells that are naturally occurring in milk as well as meat products. Unhealthy cows do have higher somatic cell counts. Our cows have a much lower level of somatic cells in their milk because we take measures to ensure that they are as healthy and stress free as possible. Filtration doesn’t impact somatic cell counts, but animal treatment does, and we consider ourselves at the top of the industry on this measure.
If you have any other questions or comments, please do not hesitate to give us a shout!
All the best,
Irie
Consumer Interaction Center
fairlife® ultra-filtered milk
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