COW’S MILK ON THE ROPES AS PLANT-BASED SUBS SURGE
Dairy, rocked by cow abuse videos, under pressure from plant-based milks.
Milk from dairy cows still ranks first in retail sales in the dairy aisle, but its market share is declining as substitutes such as almond, soy,
coconut and rice milks gain favor with more consumers.
In the 1970s, the average American drank 30 gallons of traditional milk a year, and now that’s down to about 18 gallons a year on a per capita basis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
Rival substitutes could get a boost from the backlash in the wake of recent local abuse allegations. Surveillance videos released by an animal cruelty investigative group showing cows being abused at four Okeechobee County dairies have received nationwide attention.
Concerns about how animals are treated may help drive sales of plant-based milk alternatives. Richard “Kudo” Couto, founder and lead investigator for Miami Beach-based ARM, which filmed the alleged abuse, has urged consumers to adopt a dairy-free plantbased diet.
For the 52 weeks ending Oct. 28, retail sales of regular white milk (fat-free, 1 percent, 2 percent and whole) totaled $10.3 billion while sales of all the milk substitutes combined totaled $1.4 billion, according to Nielsen data.
Among the substitutes, almond milk ranked first with 73 percent of dollar volume followed by milks made from soy, coconut, others (cashew, flax, pea, hemp, etc.) and rice. Nielsen’s experts say that dietary restrictions may be playing a role in almond milk’s rise, as it lacks the lactose of traditional milk and does not contain the plant-based estrogen
found in soy.
Even the nation’s largest processor and distributor of fresh milk and other dairy products, Dean Foods Co., which owns the South Florida iconic brand McArthur, is branching out. It has a minority investment in Good Karma, a flaxseed-based milk alternative ideal for people with dairy, nut or soy allergies, Dean spokeswoman Reace Smith said.
Meanwhile, the dairy milk industry is fighting back with
the “Dairy Pride Act,” proposed legislation that would ban alterna- tives from using the term “milk.” They assert that the plant-based beverage producers are confus
ing consumers by calling their products “milk.”
Soy milk, a mainstay for decades, gained popularity over the years among people who could not tolerate dairy milk and also with vegans who do not eat meat of any kind and also do not eat eggs, dairy products, or processed foods containing these or other animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin.
John Cox, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Soy Foods Association of North America, said it’s silly for the dairy industry to suggest that consumers are mistakenly selecting soy milk when they meant to select cow’s milk. However, if soy milk were required to be labeled “soy beverage,” that would be confusing, he said.
“A soybean cannot be mistreated. It requires far less water, land and fertilizer than other comparable sources of protein,” Cox said, but the industry isn’t out to criticize the dairy industry because soybeans are an import
ant source of cattle feed.
The way cows are treated in Florida dairies has been in the spotlight since last month’s release of surveillance videos shot at Larson Dairy and Burnham Dairy in Okeechobee County by Miami Beach-based ARM. The videos show workers kicking cows in the head, beating them with metal
rods and using other force the dairy industry says is unacceptable and not typical.
In early December, ARM officials met with Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel Stephen and provided more information. McArthur Dairy and Davie Dairy are also being investigated. Three former workers at McArthur and one from Larson Dairy have been arrested on animal cruelty charges.
When the first videos were released, Publix Super Markets immediately suspended shipments from Larson Dairy on Nov. 9
and from Burnham Dairy on Nov. 13. The ban is still in effect and has been expanded to include the other dairies in question, Publix spokeswoman Nicole Krauss said.
In response to the demand
for milk from cows raised in the most natural environment possible, a number of dairies are now producing milk from grass-fed cows touted as free of GMOs. Among them are Maple Hill Creamery of Kinderhook, N.Y., which since 2009 has been crafting healthy organic dairy products from 100 percent grass-fed cows.
Innovative milk from cows such as Fairlife’s ultra-filtered milk, with more protein and calcium, less sugar and no lactose are also offer a “better-for-you” alternative.
Judging by sales, dairy milk is still the favorite of a majority of consumers.
Bob Messenger, publisher of food-and-beverage industry report The Morning Cup, said, “Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but the plantbased drinks are not milk, not in my opinion. Milk is milk, plant-based alternatives are beverages. I’ve tried them all (soy, almond, etc.) but nothing works on my bowl of Special K like ‘real’ milk.
“That said, there is a movement out there, some of it driven by the animal activist elements, to demonize dairy, whether it has to do with environmental issues or concern for the animals. And it seems to be boosting sales of these plant-based beverages. Nothing wrong with that, so long as it doesn’t lead to an effort to ban dairy-based milk altogether. These days, nothing is impossible,” Messenger said.
Chris Galen, spokesman for the Arlington, Va.based National Milk Producers Federation, said: “We don’t believe that on an ongoing, national basis, the rare appearance of an undercover video depicting animal abuse has an impact on milk sales. Because these incidents are — thankfully — isolated cases that are condemned by everyone in the industry, it’s very hard to tie trends in milk sales to such a localized situation.
“That said, we know that many consumers — certainly not all, but an increasing proportion — want to know where their food comes from,” Galen said. “That applies to all types of products in their diets, including dairy. The rise in social media’s influence, coupled with changes in food retailing, are leading to expectations of greater transparency about food production throughout the value chain.”
In 2009, NMPF implemented the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program to ensure that the industry has a rigorous, science-based system to monitor and improve dairy animal care.
“It’s not a marketing program, but a demonstration that farmers are ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to adopting comprehensive standards for animal care across a dairy cow’s life,” Galen said.
With a dizzying array of milk and milk substitutes available, what should consumers do?
Consumers who might be confused about the choices should read the product’s labels, and especially check the amount of protein, Palm Beach Gardens-based licensed dietitian Christine Bandy advises. Most milks of all kinds are fortified with calcium and vitamins found in cow’s milk.
She points out that humans are the only species that regularly drinks another species’ milk. “There is no absolute requirement at all for cow’s milk if you are getting a balanced, varied diet,” Bandy said.