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The rise of plant-based dairy alternatives

In part 1 of our Plant-based shift series we take a look at the rising demand for plant-based dairy alternatives. How has the market developed over the years, and who – or what – is spurring its steep growth?
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In part 1 of our Plant-based Shift series we take a look at the rising demand for plant-based dairy alternatives. How has the market developed over the years, and who – or what – is spurring its steep growth?

Go to any café or supermarket today, and chances are you’ll come across a number of dairy alternatives. Indeed, what started off as a niche market not that long ago has now gone global, with sales of non-dairy milk alternatives more than doubling between 2009 and 2015, according to Euromonitor.

The plant-based movement

As the number of products on offer continues to expand – with options including almond milk, tiger nut milk, hemp milk and so on – such growth should come as no surprise.

What this does mean, however, is taking a look at the reasons why: with an increased focus on health, dietary changes – with more people leaning towards veganism or “flexitarian” lifestyles – animal welfare and innovations within the food and beverage industry all contributing to increasing sales.

 

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That’s just for starters. In geographical terms, Asia-Pacific is the largest and fasted growing market for dairy alternatives, with lactose intolerance and milk allergies also playing a big role. And, with the global market predicted to reach $21.52bn by 2024, the industry shows no signs of slowing down.

And so, taking into account all these developments, we decided to create our new blog series in order to delve further into each trend and explore what else plant-based dairy alternatives have to offer.

In each blog that follows, we will deep dive into one facet of the industry and discover whether the popularity of plant-based dairy alternatives represents a short-term trend or a market that’s here to stay. Either way, how will this affect the food and beverage industry? Which SIG solutions, such as our combismile cartons, can help established manufacturers and producers – as well as start-ups –expand their range of non-dairy products?

In part two we will look more specifically into the beginnings of the plant-based dairy alternative movement, working our way up to where it stands today – as a global, billion-dollar industry. How exactly has it grown, and how big is it now?

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