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Tag: sustainability

Beyond B Corp: How Plant-Based Brands Can Build Real Accountability with Consumers 

Written by Benjamin Davis on . Posted in Industry updates, Manufacturing.

The plant-based food movement is built on values—sustainability, ethics, and transparency—which is why so many brands pursue third-party certifications to validate their commitments. But what happens when a once-respected certification loses credibility? 

This week, Dr. Bronner’s, the highest-scoring B Corp in the world, announced it will not renew its certification, citing concerns that B Lab has failed to protect the integrity of the standard by allowing large corporations with questionable supply chains to obtain certification. 

“Despite our multi-year effort urging B Lab to strengthen its standards, they have allowed the subsidiaries of multinational companies—that have histories of socially & environmentally destructive practices in their supply chains—to obtain the certification & use it to greenwash their branding.”
– Dr. Bronner’s, LinkedIn Announcement 

For plant-based brands, this is a wake-up call. If one of the most mission-driven companies in the world believes B Corp no longer guarantees true accountability, how can plant-based brands build trust with consumers in a more meaningful way? 

 

Building Brand Accountability Beyond Certifications 

Third-party certifications like B Corp, Non-GMO Verified, and Organic can be useful tools, but they are not substitutes for real transparency. The modern wave of conscious consumers—especially those choosing plant-based foods—are increasingly skeptical of corporate sustainability claims and want real proof, not just labels. 

Here’s how plant-based brands can demonstrate accountability without relying on B Corp: 

  1. Disclose Your Supply Chain with Radical Transparency
  • Show customers exactly where your ingredients come from. 
  • Share supplier partnerships, sourcing locations, and impact reports on your website and packaging. 
  • Utilize blockchain technology or QR codes to give real-time traceability to consumers. 

Example: Oatly publicly shares its sustainability impact, including water and land use, per liter of oat milk sold. 

 

  1. Commit to Real Audits & Public Reporting
  • Conduct third-party supply chain audits and publish the findings—even the challenges. 
  • Set specific, time-bound sustainability goals and report progress annually. 
  • Use verified regenerative or fair-trade certifications that require on-the-ground audits. 

Example: Alter Eco Chocolates shares in-depth impact reports on its supply chain, including carbon offsets and regenerative farming initiatives. 

 

  1. Engage Customers with Two-Way Accountability
  • Create a consumer advisory board to get real feedback on sustainability efforts. 
  • Open direct channels for customer inquiries on ethical sourcing, production, and impact. 
  • Encourage independent watchdogs to evaluate your claims. 

Example: Patagonia has an independent review board for its environmental impact statements. 

 

  1. Support Industry-Wide Change
  • Align with policy-driven initiatives to push for systemic reform in food production. 
  • Collaborate with NGOs and sustainability organizations instead of relying on certifications alone. 
  • Advocate for legislation that enforces stricter supply chain regulations. 

Example: The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) works with manufacturers to drive policy and advance legislation for the betterment of the industry. 

 

What This Means for Plant-Based Brands 

If Dr. Bronner’s is walking away from the B Corp certification, plant-based brands need to rethink what accountability looks like. Instead of checking a box, brands must prove their commitment through action, transparency, and direct consumer engagement. 

Your customers are paying attention—they want to support brands that are genuinely ethical, not just certified as such. Now is the time for plant-based companies to lead with authenticity and set a new standard for accountability in the food industry. 

plant-based milk alternatives

The Continuing Evolution of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives

Written by Mindy Hermann on . Posted in Manufacturing, Retail.

There’s no denying that plant-based milk alternatives have a big presence. From dairy cases to artisanal coffee shops, customers can choose from a growing variety of replacements for cow’s milk. A recent report, the Good Food Institute 2021 U.S. Retail Market Insights, Plant-based Foods, notes that plant-based milk accounts for 16% of all dollar sales for milk in the US, with a 4% one-year dollar growth and a household penetration of 42%. North America is the third largest market globally for plant-based milk. Innova Market Insights reports that North America accounted for an 11% share of dairy alternative drinks launches between July 2021 and June 2022. Launch activity was more robust in Europe and Asia – each region contributed one-third of new dairy alternative drinks over the same 12-month period.

Several factors are driving innovation in North American dairy alternative drinks. In its analysis of the marketplace, Innova identifies varied factors around clean products (crafted using 100% natural, carbon neutral packaging), enhanced protein content, nutrient parity with cow’s milk, reduction of inherent and added sugar, and functional ingredients (ginger, green tea extract, other immune-boosters and antioxidants). Innovation is likely to continue as new companies enter the marketplace and all products compete for consumers.

Production methods

Production of dairy alternative milk, sometimes spelled “mylk” to differentiate it from traditional milk, involves several steps. The cell structure of the plant base – typically nuts, seeds, grains, or legumes – is disrupted through soaking and grinding, or other methods. The resultant base mixture requires heating to deactivate enzymes, filtering to remove unwanted material, and heating to destroy pathogens. What differentiates one brand from another is the chosen base or bases, ingredients that enhance sensory properties, masking agents to cover up any bean or pea flavor notes, and added nutrients.

Types of bases continue to expand

Years ago, soy was the dominant base in dairy milk alternatives. Consumer sentiment, particularly in the US, then turned away from soy as questions arose regarding genetic modification of soy beans and health implications of soy consumption. Despite the lack of scientific evidence to substantiate these concerns, US consumption of soy milk dropped. Today, almond is the number one base in plant-based milk and accounts for about 60% of product bases. Oat is a fast-growing number two base, even in Asia where soy products are readily embraced.

Many leading brands offer a portfolio of products with varied bases and flavors to appeal to a broad range of consumers. Danone’s Silk line includes soy, cashew, almond, and coconut milk products. Beverage products from Blue Diamond Growers, an agricultural cooperative for California almond growers, feature an almond milk base alone or combined with coconut milk or bananas. Elmhurst Milked produces a wide range of clean label nut milks, including almond milk, cashew milk, walnut milk, and hazelnut milk. Most are made from only the signature nut plus water. Other brands in the US include Ripple (pea protein), Seeds of Wellness (chia seeds), Good Karma (pea protein with flax oil), and Califia Farms (almond milk, oat milk with pea protein, almond plus coconut milk). Companies typically offer both unflavored and flavored varieties, and many produce thicker products for use in coffee beverages.

Seeking nutrition parity  

Plant bases for dairy alternative drinks do not match the nutrition profile of cow’s milk. That is why many products are fortified to better replicate key dairy nutrients. Because almonds and cashews are relatively low in protein – and their milks are even lower – almond milk and cashew milk brands that feature a protein claim have added a source of protein, typically pea protein. Pea protein-based Ripple adds enough protein to match the level in dairy milk; the brand’s products also are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Hope & Sesame enhances its sesame protein base with either pea protein or chickpea protein. Dairy alternative bases also lack the key vitamins and minerals of dairy milk, so many brands fortify with the hallmark dairy milk nutrients calcium and vitamin D. Ripple, for example, adds calcium and vitamin D in amounts that exceed the nutrient content of an equivalent volume of cow’s milk. Several brands also add vitamin B12, which is found naturally in dairy milk but not in plant-based products, to serve as a source for vegans. Still, fortified soy milk currently is the only plant-based dairy alternative drink included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and permitted in school meals programs as a nutritional equivalent to cow’s milk.

Products also may contain nutrients and ingredients not found in dairy milk, such as fiber, medium-chain triglyceride oil for followers of the ketogenic diet, omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid, and functional ingredients.

One ingredient to watch for is animal-free whey protein. Cultivated through precision fermentation, animal-free whey protein offers high quality dairy protein that is identical to the whey protein found in cow’s milk. While not strictly plant-based, it offers an option for consumers looking for animal-free products.

Drinking to sustainability

The sustainability messaging found on dairy alternative packaging can appeal to consumers who shop with the environment in mind. Sustainable products are highly prominent in Europe, where approximately half of 2021 new food and beverage launches carried a sustainability-related claim, according to Innova Market Insights. This compares to 17% in Asia and 8% in North America, although the prevalence of claims is growing in both regions.

Consumer interest in sustainability is helping drive growth of plant-based dairy alternatives. As reported in a 2020 article in the Journal of Dairy Science on consumer perception of the sustainability of dairy products and plant-based alternatives, consumers who purchased plant-based dairy alternatives along with dairy products were more likely to say that sustainability is important, as compared to consumers of dairy only. Consumers who participated in the study defined sustainability as minimal carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, few or no preservatives, animal happiness and welfare, and simple ingredients. Many plant-based dairy alternatives call out their sustainability credentials on their website. Common claims include reduced carbon footprint, lower water usage, less plastic used in packaging, restoration of land and water, and alignment with organizations committed to sustainability.

Coming next – products made with upcycled ingredients such as spent barley grain, proteins left over from starch and oil production, and “ugly” ingredients that combine nutrition with sustainability messages.