The latest innovation in the plant-based protein market is potato milk. Since potatoes have several health benefits, including vitamins and nutrients, food tech start-ups are diving into this newfound space to capture market share. Importantly, potato milk is more sustainable, allergen-free, and has less sugar than its ' competitors have. For instance,
In July 2021, a Swedish start-up, DUG, first came up with a potato-based vegan milk alternative.Apart from the potato, the company used pea protein, maltodextrin, chicory fibre, rapeseed oil, and natural flavourings, and supplemented the drink with vitamins D, B12, and folic acid.
Notably, the brand won the best Allergy Friendly Product at the 2021 World Food Innovation Awards and secured second place as the best plant-based beverage for its innovative product. With the increasing popularity of its product, DUG had expanded its business and entered the Irish market. Now, these innovative potato drinks are available in groceries such as Fallon & Byrne, as well as online at dugdrinks in Ireland. In addition, the brand has constantly been expanding its footprint in other markets, such as the United Kingdom, to acquire health-conscious customers.
DUG, the only potato milk on the market in the United Kingdom, currently has a monopoly; while other companies have utilised potatoes to produce sauces and dips, potato milk is a new product. Therefore, the shift in the preference pattern towards plant-based products has further helped to increase DUG's sales by 49.9% to £146.8 million in 2021. DUG, also entered into a partnership with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) in the country. WW, which is a global wellness company with a commercial weight-management program, started offering DUG as a reward in the company's WellnessWins program.
Changing lifestyles is driving consumers' food habits. Additionally, consumers are becoming more conscious about what they eat. As a result, demand for high protein products, which have less carbon footprint, such as plant-based protein, is rising. Manufacturers will have more chances to meet increased demand as a result of this development. The trend towards more plant-based foods and diets has further provided momentum to the overall growth of DUG.
Additionally, DUG's product claims to have an edge against all other plant-based milk products since it is far more sustainable than the other alternative milk. Particularly, the product uses less land and half the amount that farming oats need. In addition, in terms of water use, DUG uses 56-times less water than almond milk. Therefore, it is a super sustainable drink.
Boosted by a growing base of environmentally conscious consumers, several brands have entered the market. According to ConsumerIntel360, nearly US$3 billion of plant-based milk was sold alone in the United States in the year 2021. However, the concern is that these kinds of milk contain fewer vitamins and nutrients than raw ingredients. This makes them less nutritious than that if one consumes the whole ingredient. Additionally, potatoes are already low in protein. After processing, potato milk contains less than 0.5g of protein per 100ml. However, potato milk brands, such as DUG, are supplemented with pea protein, which makes a 100ml serving have around 1.3g of protein. Since the plant-based milk category is being saturated, Dug is planning to enter the vegan ice-cream market, which is currently surging, and intends to enter the alternative meat space with the same potato and pea protein.
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