KENYA – Brookside Dairy Limited, Eastern Africa’s largest dairy processing company, has dipped its toes into the plant-based milk category with launch of 100% Almond Milk and 100% Soy Milk products.
Launched under the company’s flagship brand Brookside, the products come packaged in 1000ml laminated carton boxes.
“Venturing into a new category has never been this exciting. Our new 100% plant-based milk is a unique product” said Benjamin Nzile, Manager Innovations and New Product Development at Brookside Dairy.
The launch comes at a time when the demand for plant-based milk is on the rise globally due to growing levels of lactose intolerance and a rise in vegan population.
According to Strategic Market Research, the global Plant-Based Milk Market size is expected to surpass US$123.1 Billion by 2030 from valued at US$ Billion in 2021 and growing at a CAGR of 15% from 2022 to 2030.
With demand rising, several plant-based milk brands led by Sweden-based Oatly have jettisoned to the mainstream with enviable success.
Although plant-based milk has been received with trepidation by the dairy sector, some dairy companies such as Danone-which has a significant stake in Brookside-have embraced the category.
Danone’s Alpro is perhaps one of the most visible plant-based milk brand in Kenya if the shelve-space it occupies in retail stores in Kenya is anything to go buy.
It is joined in the plant-based milk aisle by Nuziwa which is produced by Jetlack Foods Limited, a local food company popularly known for its Savannah cordials and Nuteez peanut butter spread.
Bio Foods is another brand in the plant-based milk category with its non-dairy coconut milk yogurt being among the few products of its kind in the Kenyan market.
The launch by brookside will definitely upset the market and enhance competition in the category that is relatively small in comparison with the dairy category.
The plant-based milk category comes on the back of an innovation drive by Brookside which aims at cementing the dairy’s position as the leading brand in Kenya’s dairy sector.
The company recently launched Brookside Plus probiotic yogurt which was debuted in Vanilla and Strawberry flavours.
The products were preceded by the launched of another industry first, fortified milk. One of the products launched under this line was fortified with Vitamin D while the other came with enhanced fiber to boost consumer gut health.
For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
