Plant-based milk has long been considered more environmentally friendly than its dairy based counterpart, but the category is about to get exponentially more sustainable thanks to an innovative oat milk slice that Milkadamia is bringing to market.
“It really is a revolutionary format,” said Bill Shaeffer, Milkadamia’s head of sales. “When you think of oat milk or think of plant-based milk in general, it always has to be hydrated. It is not hydrated naturally. So, we said, what if we hydrate at the end versus the beginning?”
He explained that Milkadamia uses a proprietary printing process to create sheets – or slices – of dry oat milk that can easily be added to water and blended for “barista quality oat milk that you could use to drink, use on your cereal or use in your coffee.”
Slices are a win for sustainability
According to Shaeffer, that simple shift has major implications for packaging, shipping and carbon emissions across the product’s entire life cycle.
He explained that the slices are available in an eight-pack for retail and 20-pack for food service in flat packs that use 85% less material and weigh 85% less than more traditional hydrated plant-based milks available in Tetra Paks.
“That really adds up over the course of the product’s life – from production to warehousing to distribution to getting to the consumer’s home. All of that savings, both in weight and carbon footprint is something that’s truly meaningful to us,” he said.
“There are over a billion Tetra Paks that are thrown out every year in a landfill. While they are recyclable, many municipalities cannot recycle them. So, while they are a great product and we continue to work with Tetra Pak for some other lines, they are really piling up. And to be able to cut into that in a small way and provide consumers with a wonderful oat milk … is something that is really true to the Milkadamia ethos,” he added.
Other ways the brand boosts sustainability is to use rainwater to irrigate macadamia nuts and use all-natural pest control, he said.
Format offers consumer savings
Milkadamia’s oat slices don’t just reduce waste upstream, it also reduces waste downstream by changing how consumers use plant-based milk at home.
Shaeffer explains that many consumers cannot finish a carton of plant-based milk before it spoils and waste roughly 25% to 30%. But with the slices they can make much only what they need – virtually eliminating waste.
“That goes a long way, especially when we talk about what your grocery prices look like now. To be able to take 50 cents to 75 cents off of each carton and put it back in your pocket – that means a lot,” Shaeffer said.
The slices also retail at a suggested price of $3.99 to the mid-$4 range, which is about 99 cents less than the market average, making it competitive for price-conscious shoppers and retailers looking for lower category entry points.
Slices could help build a bigger basket
The new format also opens up merchandising opportunities that could boost volume for Milkadamia and basket size for retailers as strategic placement reminds consumers of other ingredients that pair with plant-based milk for a full meal.
Shaeffer said he expects the slices initially will be stocked next to its liquid plant-based milk in stand-up cases that are ready for the shelf, but he said it can easily be merchandised on freezer doors or in the produce section next to fruits and vegetables that are often blended with plant-based milk in smoothies.
Unlike cartons of liquid plant-based milk, the slices take up less space and are not as heavy – making them efficient to stock, he added.
Looking forward, Milkadamia plans to launch other flavors of the slices, potentially including rice and soy. But ultimately, he said, there is no reason the technology can’t be used for other liquid products – underscoring that a sustainable future isn’t just about what people consume, but how efficiently it is delivered.
