Oatly, the dairy alternative company, has launched three new long-life oat milk products in the UK, Nordics, DACH, and Benelux regions. The 1L packs are indistinguishable in taste from the Oatly Whole, Semi, Light, and No Sugars versions that are available for cold storage. The company believes that the new products will provide consumers with more dairy alternative options, leading to greater convenience in choice.
According to Bryan Carroll, Oatly UK&Ireland’s general manager, for the first time, both chilled and long-life formats of Oatly’s Light, Semi, and Whole products are available to purchase. The products contain a new and upgraded recipe from the original oat drink, allowing for better functionality in all purposes, including hot drinks.
Oatly’s new products have been formulated with a new recipe that is based on their original drink, but the Whole version contains a higher fat content than Semi and No Sugars. All three products contain 10% oats, vitamins (D2, B12, B2), minerals (calcium carbonate and potassium iodide), water, salt, rapeseed oil, and dipotassium phosphate.
Responding to questions about how Oatly Whole differs from Barista, Carroll stated that it was about offering customers more choice. Meanwhile, Caroll claims that their new product, No Sugars, is “a brand new product” that was “uniquely developed for a milder, less sweet flavor.” The new products taste great and work equally well in hot drinks, cooking, baking, and breakfast cereal, thanks to the new and improved recipes, guarantees Carroll.
Oatly’s recent survey data, which apprised why consumers who had switched to plant-based drinks failed to adhere to the transition either in availability or convenience, has led the company to expand its offerings. “As well as familiarity and convenience, the top reasons for consumers returning to dairy included the availability of dairy (30%), falling back into it by accident because it is in everything (23%), and the hassle of trying to eliminate it (20%),” explained Carroll.
Health remains a top priority for customers, with many consumers switching to plant-based drinks to lead a healthier lifestyle. According to data from an independent McKinsey study, 32% of customers enter the dairy alternative category to live a more healthful life, while more than 57% of consumers are taking steps to limit or reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, according to Mintel.
Oatly’s new beverage releases come at a time when demand for plant-based milk and meat alternatives is waning. Despite a 6.1% drop in milk volumes YoY, the dairy industry has remained essential to the UK market, with 98% of UK households purchasing milk more than once a week on average. However, plant-based milk sales have continued to grow by 17% between 2020-2022, although alternatives have remained more costly than cow’s milk.
Oatly is set to open its first UK plant this year and plans to introduce a soft-serve ice cream. As the plant-based milk market evolves, Oatly aims to enable customers to choose and experience dairy alternatives without compromising on taste, performance, or nutritional benefits.