Dairy Processing - September 2021 - 10

Overall, 5% of
US consumers consider
themselves vegetarian
and 2% vegan. Of those
respondents, those who
are part of Gen Z,
8% are vegetarian and
5% are vegan.
Mintel
According to the Bord Bia
Irish Food Board, plant-based
dairy alternatives are becoming
increasingly popular among
vegans and non-vegans alike.
However, some consumers are
not ready to commit fully to a
plant-based diet. It's important to
understand what drives the current
'flexitarian' trend, where consumers are
increasing their intake of plant-based foods and
limiting animal product consumption.
There are many motivations for buying
dairy hybrid products, many of which overlap
with one another. Consumers may want to
boost protein intake, cut dairy in the interest
of a lactose-free diet or add more vegetables to
their diet. Blends offer an easy way to achieve
these goals.
Post-COVID, it's more important than
ever for dairy brands to keep up to
date with new consumer demands.
The growing trend of flexitarianism
opens the space for hybrid
dairy products.
PRODUCT PROFILERATION
DFA Live Real Farms brand led the
hybrid pack in 2020 with the rollout
of its Dairy+ milk blends (lactosefree
milks featuring 50:50 blends of
plant-based milk and cow's milk)
to retailers in the Northeast as it
pioneered the trend in the dairy case
after seeing more brands experiment
with the concept in the meat category.
The 50:50 blend of lactose-free
dairy milk with a non-dairy alternative
such as oats or almonds looks for a
balance between dairy and non-dairy.
It provides the lactose-free digestive
wellness benefit which makes it a
strong motivator for people choosing
plant-based non-dairy drinks.
In early 2021, Shamrock Farms
introduced Swirled - a chocolate
milk that blends creamy dairy and
natural plant-based ingredients. The
indulgent hybrid offers the best of
both worlds: chocolate milk and
10 SEP 2021 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
the reduced sugar and healthful fats found in
coconut cream and almonds.
Chobani made its first foray into the
burgeoning plant-based yogurt sector in 2019
with a coconut-based range of spoonable and
drinkable products it claims offers superior
taste and a " creamy full bodied " texture, with
25% less sugar than rival offerings.
Today, the company is still going strong with
its dairy alternatives. Chobani Oatmilk is made
with the simple, natural goodness of oats. It's
plant-based and vegan-friendly, crafted without
dairy or lactose. The non-dairy oatmilk offerings
are a great source of calcium, and a good source
of vitamins A and D. And spoonable oat blends
and crunch contain probiotics, and 3 to 4 grams
of plant-based protein.
CHEESE, PLEASE
It's no secret that the industry has seen
tremendous rise in the demand for both
plant-based cheese offerings as well as hybrid
plant-based and dairy-based products. So what's
contributing to this trend?
Shannon Maher, chief marketing officer at
Bel Brands USA, said today's households are
full of different diets and food preferences,
and people's food choices are transforming.
" In 2020, plant-based product sales grew
two times faster than overall food sales and
more than half (52%) of Americans are
incorporating more plant-based products
into their daily lives, " she added. " When we
look specifically at Gen Z consumers, 52
percent are eating more healthy snacks and
looking to add more plant-based foods to their
diet. Additionally, flexitarians are on the rise,
with nine out of 10 of these consumers trying to
add more plants to their diet. "
Maher said that as consumers shift toward
a more flexitarian diet, the industry has an
opportunity to introduce a mix of plant-based,
traditional and hybrid products.
" As our consumers already know and
trust, we are uniquely positioned to continue
to expand our dairy-based offerings through
innovation and new flavor development,
while also introducing hybrid and plant-based
products to meet those evolving demands, " she
said. " The launch of new hybrid and plant-based
Chobani
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Dairy Processing - September 2021

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