Grey and Green Matters will be a series of posts exploring rapidly growing and green segments including those within the CPG, beverage and client services industries.
Each post will be a 2-3 part posts exploring the intersections of consumers demanding sustainable outputs and companies that are meeting those needs using green marketing tools
The first industry I will take a critical insight to is the alternative milk category that includes milk substitutes, soy milk, and non-dairy drinks.
You’ve probably more familiar with these packages
Its a category that is rapidly expanding for a number of reasons such as changing consumer tastes and rising lactose intolerance and is worth billions of dollars.
There several issues that companies do face in this market.
The first is that consumer information on a per product basis is very low due to the huge number of product types (cashew, almond and coconut) and sub types such as different flavors. This creates an uphill battle for individual brands and companies to better differentiate a product in a sea of on shelf competitors. It also means that the relative cost of retail roll-out of product line extensions is also costly due to market over saturation.
The second point is the rise of store brand competitors. This is happening relatively slowly due to the segment’s multi niche product diversity but it is coming. Blaine McPeak, president of the Americas foods and beverages segment, said on the conference call that private-label market share in the plant-based business in the Americas is running about 13%, and the company expects “modest increases over time.
In my next post I shall be taking a look at one company in the space, Veggemo, a veggie based non-dairy beverage created by BC based, Global Gardens group and how they are overcoming these difficulties.
If you want to lean more about this segment take a look at these graphs:
|
Product |
Nutrition information |
Pros |
Cons |
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Cow’s milk (1 percent)
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• 102 calories • 8.2 grams protein • 2.4 grams fat • 31 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium |
It has muscle-strengthening protein and bone-fueling calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D. |
In addition to having some saturated fat, it contains lactose, a sugar that some people have trouble digesting. And allergies to proteins in cow’s milk may be a concern, especially for children. |
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Almond milk (unsweetened plain)
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• 30 to 50 calories • up to 1 gram protein • 2 to 2.5 grams fat • 30 to 45 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium |
Made from ground almonds and water, it’s naturally lower in calories and fat than cow’s milk. It supplies some vitamin E and is often fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Blue Diamond Almonds’ Almond Breeze Original, shown above, which has added sugars, was the best of the eight tasted. A reduced-sugar variety has just 3 grams of sugars. |
It’s very low in protein. Check labels for sugar content; some brands are lightly sweetened, but others have the equivalent of almost 2 teaspoons. |
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Coconut milk (unsweetened or original)
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• 40 to 80 calories • 0 grams protein • 4.5 to 5 grams fat • 30 to 45 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium |
Not to be confused with the fattier stuff in cans, the coconut-milk beverage found in cartons in the dairy case is watered down to match milk’s consistency and fat content. It’s usually fortified with calcium and vitamin D; some brands add vitamin B12. In our tasting of five coconut milks and coconut-almond blends, Silk Almond-Coconut Blend Original, shown above, was the tastiest. |
It has zero protein. It doesn’t come in low-fat versions, so it’s closer to whole or 2 percent milk. And the fat is mostly saturated. Depending on the brand, the milk may have a big coconut flavor or almost none at all.
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Hemp milk
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• 70 to 140 calories • 2 to 3 grams protein • 5 to 7 grams fat • 30 to 50 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium |
The hemp seeds used to make this milk are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fats, which are good for the heart and brain. It’s fortified with calcium and vitamins B12 and D. |
Hemp has an earthy, beany-nutty flavor, which our sensory panelists deemed an acquired taste. You might see cane juice or brown rice syrup on the ingredients lists of some brands’ sweetened varieties. But those are just other names for sugar. Brown rice syrup may also contain arsenic. |
|
Rice milk (unsweetened) |
• 90 to 130 calories • 1 gram protein • 2 to 2.5 grams fat • 30 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium |
It’s one of the least allergenic beverages, and some brands are fortified with calcium, vitamin B12, and iron.
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Our tests found that products made with rice, including rice milk, contain detectable levels of arsenic, a carcinogen. Our experts recommend drinking no more than ½ cup per day and not giving rice milk regularly to children younger than 5.
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Soy milk (low-fat plain)
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• 60 to 90 calories • 4 to 6 grams protein • 1.5 to 2 grams fat • 20 to 45 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium |
Made from ground soybeans and water, it contains high-quality protein and is often fortified with B vitamins, calcium, and vitamin D, giving it the closest nutrition profile to cow’s milk among the plant-based options. Our sensory panelists judged Silk Soymilk Vanilla, pictured above, to be the best of the four products they tasted. Compared with the 1 gram of sugars in unsweetened soy milk, it has 8 grams (the equivalent of 2 teaspoons), mostly from added cane sugar. |
Flavored varieties have added sugars. And most soybeans are grown from genetically modified seeds. Look for brands with the USDA organic seal or the non-GMO verified label.
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From <http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/08/milk-substitutes-should-you-sip-or-skip/index.htm>