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Lactose-free outpaces plant-based alternatives

Analysis of 2019 consumer trends finds while sales plant-based alternatives are increasing, so is the demand for lactose-free dairy milk.

In a report from IRI, a data analytics company, year over year growth for lactose-free milk was up nearly 12 percent while plant-based alternatives were up 5.5 percent.

Almond milk represents about two-thirds of plant-based options and increased sales by almost six percent to more than $1.4 billion.  Oat milk, the third-largest segment of alternatives and fastest-growing, showed an 872 percent growth in sales in 2019, going from $7 million in 2018 to $68 million last year.

The National Milk Producers Federation says total milk sales did decline some in 2019, from $13.93 billion to $13.88 billion, but the size and scope are significantly larger than the plant-based beverage market which totaled $2 billion last year.