Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives Are Experiencing A ‘Holy Cow!’ Moment

(Forbes) – A decade ago (even more recently in some places), coffee shops had, at most, one non-dairy milk alternative, and it was usually soy. Other alternatives existed, but if you wanted them, you probably had to haul to the nearest health food store.

Things have certainly changed. Nowadays, a trendy coffee shop might offer soy, rice, oat, almond, or coconut milks – or a choice of the above. You can even get almond milk at Dunkin’ Donuts (alongside a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich), which proudly brands itself as the everyman’s coffee chain.

The global dairy alternative market was estimated at a value of $11.9 billion as of 2017, and its rapid growth has gotten the attention of those in the food industry, as has its profitability – plant-based dairy alternatives are displaying 6% better returns than traditional dairy products. Consumers are driving this trend: In Britain, for example, 25% of people are choosing plant based milks – with figures being as high as 33% for the young adults market (16-24 year olds).

Meanwhile, dairy milk consumption has been on the decline for decades, with each generation drinking less milk than its predecessor. Part of the cause for this, as some, like Sarah Baird at Eater has proposed, is due to changes in culinary tastes. We’re eating food from far more diverse origins than what our grandparents grew up eating, and milk just doesn’t really go as well with it.

And for all the other uses we normally have for dairy, the plant-based alternatives are swooping in. Apart from changing tastes and consumers’ willingness to try new foods, there are a couple of major reasons for this swap: ethics and nutrition.

Modern research has cast serious doubts on the health halo once held by milk. After years of ad campaigns teaching the public that milk builds strong bones, a more recent long-term study has suggested that high levels of milk consumption actually increase rates of bone fracture and mortality. The Harvard University T. Chan School of Public Health reportsthat various components of dairy may be responsible for higher rates of ovarian and prostate cancers. The high saturated fat content of dairy can raise levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and may put people at greater risk of heart disease.