US: Whole and lactose-free milk sales grow as plant-based alternatives dip

United States

Market & Price Trends

Published Jan 22, 2024

Tridge summary

Retail sales of whole milk increased by 0.6% in 2023, making up 45.4% of total fluid volume sold. Lactose-free milk also saw a 6.7% increase in sales volume, surpassing almond-based alternatives. Plant-based dairy alternatives saw a decline in sales volume for the second year in a row, with almond milk being the most frequently consumed, driven by taste preference and ethical considerations related to animal welfare and the environment.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

According to data from Circana cited by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), retail sales of whole milk rose annually, up 8 million gallons, or 0.6% in 2023, while lactose-free milk climbed 6.7%. Alan Bjerga, executive vice-president, communications & industry relations at NMPF, said 2024 was ‘shaping up to be an exciting year for both whole and lactose-free milk’. “Because overall fluid sales declined, whole milk now makes up 45.4% of total fluid volume sold and is easily the most popular variety,” he said, adding that lactose-free milk in particular has surpassed the sales volume of almond-based alternatives, which declined in 2023 by 9.8% according to the same data set. “Almond’s annual decline of 9.8% is a big part of an overall consumer move away from plant-based alternatives, which have now seen two straight years of sales volume drops. Buyers are emphatically rejecting years of misleading claims that these beverages are a worthy substitute to dairy,” he claimed. ...

Source: Dairyreporter