Kaslink, Tetra Pak to develop oat based drinks

kaslink-tetra-pak-to-develop-oat-based-drinks
oats

With plant-based dairy drinks trending strongly in Europe, Kaslink and its partner, Tetra Pak are willing to take risks to stay ahead of the competition.

 

In the Nordic countries, oat is a common food ingredient. Oat based drinks and fermented oat based products are cereal-based products which are common in Asia where many products are based on soy, almond or rice.

 

The global market for alternative dairy drinks is expected to reach US$16.3 billion this year alone, according to Innova Market Insights data, a dramatic increase from US$7.4 billion in 2010.

 

While consumers look for healthier ways of living, the interest in vegan diets will continue to increase significantly, particularly for millennials. Consumer appetite for plant-based foods and beverages, often labeled as healthier alternatives to dairy and meat, is growing. US milk consumption has dwindled as consumers switch to alternative dairy drinks.

 

Dairy alternative drinks accounted for seven percent of global dairy launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in 2016, up from six percent in 2015. Actual global launch numbers more than doubled over a five-year period. Just over half of these launches were positioned as lactose-free, nearly 40 percent as vegan and just under a quarter as GMO-free.

 

Kaslink is specializing in developing and manufacturing premium Scandinavian food products including cooking products, drinks and snacks. Sixteen years later, the company has sales of €60 million (US$70.5 million), 170 employees and products that are sold in more than 15 European countries.

 

Raino’s three sons, Tuomas, Juha-Petteri and Matti, have taken over operation of the company, which has gradually been transformed from a sauce production company into a dairy company. Between 2011 and 2016 the company’s revenue grew by 50 percent per year.

 

The ambition is to try and create new, ground-breaking products for the consumers, according to the company. One such direction is the move towards non-dairy products such as oat-based drinks and fermented oat-based products.

 

“We believe that the first player in the market will have the greatest success. We want to be ahead of others, so we focus on making investments that will enable this. The non-dairy segment is only 2-5 percent of the total market share of dairy drinks, so there is room to grow,” Tuomas explains.

 

 

The industry must listen to consumers’ wishes very carefully, and also come up with new food innovations and thus create more demand for plant-based products. It is important to follow trendsetters as well as to be the first in line creating new product innovations, said Juha-Petteri.

 

 

Another big innovation for us is our oat-based dairy alternative yogurts, Juha-Petteri notes. “Oat is a Nordic superfood, and it’s a new, growing category in the plant-based dairy alternative yogurts. We want to develop the category even further, as the demand is multiplying and the whole category of oat-based dairy alternative yogurts is growing very fast. We believe oat is going to become the most popular plant-based dairy alternative yogurt globally during the next five years.”

 

The category with the most growth and also with the most potential for growth is plant-based dairy alternative yogurts. “The demand for these kinds of products is huge and we want to develop the category even further, providing the consumers with choices,” said Juha-Petteri.

Read Previous

Savory foods promote healthy eating, says a research

Read Next

Microcrystalline Cellulose market to grow Till 2021

Leave a Reply