Plant-based dairy alternative beverages
The dairy alternative category is not a new one. But with all the evolution and diversification it’s 
undergone since aseptically packaged soy milk was commercially introduced in the late 
1970’s, it may as well be. Changing consumer lifestyles and attitudes, paired with a new generation of refrigerated non-dairy plant-based milks offering unique flavors and functional benefits, have channeled plant-based dairy alternative products directly into the mainstream. From 2000 to 2016, non-dairy plant-based milk consumption increased by triple digits.1 Going forward, Packaged Facts forecasts that dairy alternatives will come to represent 40% of the total dairy and dairy alternative market, with $28 billion in sales, by 2021. While less than 15% of consumers identify as vegan or vegetarian, a growing number are pursuing “flexitarian” or “lessitarian” eating habits. According to the Nutrition Business Journal Report, about a quarter of the U.S. population says they are trying to cut back on animal-based foods and beverages in a consciously balanced way. Packaged Facts credits this group as the most significant influencer on the shift from dairy milk to nondairy plant-based milk……. Read