Is plant-based becoming the new normal?

Currently, many companies – from the start ups to the major brands – are jumping on the plant-based trend as the market continues to grow driven by climate change issues, health and ethics trends, and fluctuating dietary preferences.

The Green Dairy AB, our customer in Sweden since 2018, has taken another big step forward for the plant-based movement as it distributes a new range of oat-based drinks to IKEA.

After COVID delays and complications, three new products including Oat Drink, Oat Drink Chocolate flavour and Oat Drink Barista, can be seen in the famous Swedish superstores across 14 European countries. Also launched is a new plant based soft ice mix chocolate flavor.

The best carton option

The products are introduced in white label packs as a test market for The Green Dairy. “As with other plant-based products, this new range is in line with today’s vision of sustainability and saving the planet. With many consumers moving from traditional dairy based products to plant based in a bid to be more sustainable, the packaging is a large part of the decision to buy,” explains Ingvar Wirfelt from The Green Dairy.

As we aim to produce our products as sustainable as they can be, and we work with packaging partners to ensure the most environmentally friendly options. In this case the Pure-Pak® Sense carton was the best packaging option.”

If the test market is successful then The Green Dairy will look into other categories, brands and packaging formats for the oat drink range, plus a possible expansion into worldwide markets including Americas and Asia where the plant-based is less developed but emerging.

Making plant-based the new normal

However, this is just one project from the pioneering dairy which is constantly developing more sustainable ways of producing and consuming food and beverages. A current project at The Green Dairy is about the waste from oats during processing products. “We are asking what we can do with the waste from oats other than selling to the pet food industry,” explains Ingvar.

“Our mission at The Green Dairy is to make plant-based the new normal for healthy and sustainable food and drinks, and together with our customers and partners will continue to guide the development of what plant-based will become tomorrow.

“This is an important step forward for the market. We started this project two years ago and now, after a lot of delays, we are now ready to introduce the oat drinks in the Pure-Pak® Sense aseptic cartons,” adds Ingvar Wirfelt.