NEW YORK, NY – Total retail sales of soy, almond, rice and other plant milks reached $1.33 billion in 2011, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Packaged Facts suggests that many consumers are increasingly turning either to non-caloric beverages or to non-traditional beverages with novel nutritional characteristics or benefits — the latter a positive trend for the dairy alternative beverages market.
Consumers choose plant-based dairy alternatives for numerous reasons, according to David Sprinkle, publisher of Packaged Facts. Health issues including lactose intolerance, milk allergy, and the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) can be addressed through the consumption of dairy alternative beverages because these plant-based milks are free of animal proteins, in particular casein. Prime consumers of dairy alternative beverages also include vegans, vegetarians and people concerned about the antibiotics or growth hormones that could be found in cow's milk.
Packaged Facts survey data show that more than half (54%) of U.S. adults who purchase soymilk do so because of the nutritional characteristics of this beverage, and nearly half (43%) do so because of nutritional advantages related to specific personal or household health concerns.
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