Oats don’t have udders. But in a widening array of dairy alternatives such as soy, coconut and almond geared toward special diets and environmentally conscious consumers, oat milk and products made with it are among the fastest-growing, and a piece of this action starts in Eugene.
Oat milk sales surged 636% in the 52 weeks ending Oct. 26, according to Nielsen data reported by CNBC. Amidst this, traditional dairy sales are slowing and America’s largest milk company, Dean Foods, filed for bankruptcy a month ago.
Oatly, a Swedish company credited with introducing oat milk, is expanding rapidly in the U.S. It opened a New Jersey plant this year and plans to open a second in Utah in early 2020 to meet its massive U.S. demand, reports Bloomberg. Greek yogurt giant Chobani, which holds a fifth of the traditional yogurt market according to Nielsen, recently announced a new line of oat milk, yogurt and coffee creamers that will hit shelves in January.
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