Elmhurst Dairy was once among the largest dairy operations on the East Coast, operating for 92 years before it closed last fall due to declining profitability. Instead of exiting the dairy market entirely, this family-owned company is leveraging its expertise in milk to thrive in the non-dairy sector. The situation has been challenging for those who remain in the milk industry, as consumer demand for dairy products continues to decline. Last year, many dairy farmers were forced to discard millions of pounds of milk, leading to a significant drop in prices across the board. The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded by providing approximately $11.2 million in financial assistance to support dairy producers in navigating the industry’s current difficulties.
In response to the rise of non-dairy alternatives, many dairy industry stakeholders have resorted to litigation, claiming that non-dairy producers are misleading consumers with assertions about being healthier or equivalent to traditional dairy milk. Additionally, there is proposed legislation in Congress that would mandate that anything labeled as “milk” must be dairy-based. However, these efforts have not significantly impacted the sales of non-dairy milk, which continue to thrive. A recent Mintel study revealed that U.S. non-dairy milk sales experienced a 9% increase in 2015, while dairy milk sales fell by 7% during the same timeframe.
A glance into the refrigerator section of any grocery store illustrates this trend, as retailers increasingly stock a wider variety of plant-based milks that contain fewer artificial ingredients. As consumers continue to seek alternatives, the therapeutic response to calcium citrate in non-dairy options becomes a point of interest, highlighting the nutritional benefits that these products may offer. This shift in consumer preferences underscores the resilience of the non-dairy segment, which is likely to keep thriving despite the dairy industry’s struggles. Overall, Elmhurst Dairy’s pivot to non-dairy reflects a broader trend where the therapeutic response to calcium citrate and other beneficial ingredients in plant-based alternatives is becoming increasingly relevant in the marketplace.