Better Than Milk refreshes brand with beverage launch

By Beth Newhart

- Last updated on GMT

"We’re definitely not out to tackle the milk category. It’s really to enhance and highlight plant-based living and vegan options.”
"We’re definitely not out to tackle the milk category. It’s really to enhance and highlight plant-based living and vegan options.”

Related tags plant-based milk plant-based Non-Dairy oat milk

At the Summer Fancy Food show in New York City last week, plant-based powder brand Better Than Milk previewed its new line of shelf-stable, RTD beverages in five varieties, rolling out nationwide this fall.

For more than 50 years, Better Than Milk has been under Panos Brands and selling rice and soy-based milk alternative powders, used for blending into beverages and other food products. Now the team is modernizing the brand with new packaging and a ready-to-drink line.

The Organic Alternative Milk Beverages are launching with Oat, Almond Original, Almond Unsweetened, Rice with Calcium and Rice with Hazelnut. All flavors are organic, vegan, certified gluten free, non-GMO verified and free from dairy, lactose, soy, sulfites, carrageenan, cholesterol and anything artificial.

Better Than Milk sources spring water used in the drinks from a spring 450 meters above sea level in the Lessini Mountains of Northern Italy, where they are manufactured. The line is packaged in 33.8oz Tetra Pak slim cartons, which are fully recyclable.

better than milk 2

Modernizing to stay competitive

Jennifer Noymer, brand manager for Better Than Milk, spoke to DairyReporter at Fancy Food about what separates this collection from the pack of plant-based milk alternatives. With zero added sugar, she considers them keto-friendly, though they are not certified as such. They are also shelf stable and designed for use in coffee, smoothies, cereal and recipes.

She said that Better Than Milk is going through a rebranding to appear more modern and eye-catching. This includes a new website and updated packaging of the powders to mirror that of the beverages, to stand out on the crowded shelves of dairy and dairy-alternatives.

“We’re definitely not out to tackle the milk category. It’s really to enhance and highlight plant-based living and vegan options,”​ Noymer said.

The team also didn’t seriously consider using soy as a base for the beverages because they wanted to meet more of the ‘modern health attributes’ in plant beverages.

“This launch was a product absolutely based on consumer trends, whether it’s vegan, whether it’s just adding more plant-based and removing more animal based-products from your diet, or just making a better balance of both of them,”​ she said.

Making plant-based accessible nationwide 

Noymer anticipates that the brand will grow in the future with more varieties and flavors, and said that Better Than Milk is always watching the market with a critical eye to anticipate new trends and potential nut and grain bases.

“Just because there are a lot of plant-based options that are out there, just because it’s a trend, if we can’t develop a product ourselves that’s really going to hit all the marks, we’re not going to put it out there,”​ Noymer said.

Better Than Milk plans to launch nationwide this fall, in both major retailers and specialty natural channels. Noymer said that while the plant-based trends point to the coasts, the brand wants to be accessible everywhere.

“Obviously you want to go where the demand is, but also you want to make sure you’re one of the first arrivers, if you can be, to places where the trend hasn’t really picked up,​” she said.

Steven Grossman, president and CEO of Panos Brands, said, “Consumers of all ages and lifestyles are increasingly incorporating plant-based alternatives into their diets as part of their efforts to lead more health-focused lives.”

“With the demonstrated growth and continued momentum toward these health trends, there couldn’t be a better time to introduce Better Than Milk Organic Alternative Milk Beverages nationwide.”

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Unlock the business potential of the protein trend

Unlock the business potential of the protein trend

Content provided by Valio | 08-Feb-2024 | White Paper

Read our white paper to learn how to overcome taste and texture challenges in protein products — and how to commercialise the protein trend by making delicious...

Custom Microbiome Solutions for Dairy & Alt-Dairy Products

Custom Microbiome Solutions for Dairy & Alt-Dairy Products

Content provided by ADM: Innovation that Feeds the Future | 13-Oct-2023 | White Paper

Backed by clinical studies and perfect for use in dairy and alt-dairy applications alike, ADM’s Active Lifestyle probiotic blend, BPL1™ probiotic, and...

Consumers Want Dairy—and More!

Consumers Want Dairy—and More!

Content provided by ADM: Innovation that Feeds the Future | 06-Oct-2023 | White Paper

In the thriving dairy industry, you’re well aware of the surging demand for both dairy and non-dairy products.

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars