Potatoes all set to Enter Milk Market

Article by: Hari Yellina

Potato Milk? You bet!

A newcomer to the alternative milk market is making a splash in the northern hemisphere. Soy milk was first, followed by almond and oat milks, and now Dug, a Swedish company, has created a buzz in the northern hemisphere with its potato milk product, which is now available at Waitrose in the United Kingdom. Dug has advertised the milk as perfect for coffee brewing, with a Barista line complimenting its regular line. According to the company’s website, the Barista line was created to be particularly creamy and capable of producing good froth in a coffee.

If potato milk is successfully released and accepted by the market, it might be a valuable source of demand for Australia’s potato growers. To mention a few alternative milk products, potatoes require less space to cultivate than oats, require significantly less water to manufacture than almonds, and have a better sustainability record than soy beans. While some may need some time to use to the thought of drinking potatoes, the alternative milk market continues to expand. Australian sales in 2021 were $352 million, according to data provided by the alternative milk market, with robust growth likely to continue. Apart from almond and soy milk, oat milk is now leading. In fact, rice, pea, and coconut are also well-liked.

Potato milk is manufactured by blending potatoes and canola oil to form a blend that closely resembles milk in terms of characteristics. Potato milk is supposed to achieve the same milky white look and texture of dairy and other vegan milks, but without the environmental costs. It uses less water than almond milk (it takes 16 gallons of water to make a glass of almond milk), uses half the land it takes to grow oats for oat milk, and produces less CO2 than dairy farming.

The potato milk, from Dug, comes in three flavors: original, unsweetened, and barista, which is creamier than the other versions. However, the three litre sample pack costs 7.5 euros or roughly $9, making it much more expensive than dairy, almond, or oat milk. The popularity of dairy has declined for years while milk substitutes have gained ground, with demand for oat milk rising during the pandemic and major companies like Starbucks adding oat and almond-based creamers and milks to their menus.