Dairy-Free Greek Yogurt and Half-and-Half Made With Pea Protein Are Coming to Stores Soon!

Over the last couple of years, the plant-based and dairy-free alternative sectors have been seeing a ripple-effect that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon which is evident with more and more large companies such as Whitewave, Maple Leaf, and Pinnacle Foods, investing and expanding these types of products under their brands. Thanks to the rising consumer demand, dairy-free companies like Silicon-Valley start-up Ripple Foods, has seen a great amount of success.

Ripple’s pea protein milk, which is available in Target, saw substantial growth hitting 300 percent in one year alone. And they’re not stopping there – Ripple’s pea protein half and half is set to be released in July with a pea protein Greek yogurt to be released by year’s end.

According to Co-founder, Adam Lowry, “We’re going big with Ripple Foods, and that means building process and innovation at big scale … anywhere you have a plant-based protein is a space we could potentially play.”

This rings true with their two latest offerings and while the products are an exciting addition to plant-based consumers everywhere, producing these products did come with their own set of difficulties. “With half-and-half, the challenge was getting something that worked well in coffee, but also would work well in a culinary situation,” explained Lowry. Additionally, Co-founder Neil Renninger stated, “There are also plenty of plant proteins you can use, but the problem is that they all taste like the plant they derive from. We had to figure out how to make a plant protein that didn’t taste like a plant protein.”

Regardless, it looks like Ripple Foods pulled it off and pea protein, in particular, has seen its own growth in recent years which is not surprising considering just how much protein is packed in the little vegetable. Unlike whey, pea protein is considered a clean alternative that packs all the punch without the added animal welfare and environmental concerns. Not to mention, based on the rapidly rising numbers in the dairy-free markets as a whole, consumers are actively looking for healthier alternatives to dairy proteins. This is a trend seen both domestically and globally with the plant-based milk market set to hit $16.3 billion in 2018.

Dairy-free yogurts are also gaining in popularity as many consumers are looking for the probiotic health benefits of yogurt cultures without the dairy component. This segment alone is estimated to reach $2.9 billion by this year and given the popularity of protein-rich Greek yogurt on the market, Ripple’s move to introduce a yogurt in their line could help them tap into a massive market.

We will be looking forward to seeing Ripple’s new products hit the shelves, another promising sign that the future of food is indeed plant-based. 

Excited about Ripple Foods upcoming offerings? Keep up-to-date by visiting their website here.

Image Source: Ripple Foods