Dairy Processing - November/December 2023 - 12

MILKPEP TAKES AIM
AT ALTERNATIVES
MilkPEP - the same group that came up with the iconic 'Got
Milk?' crusade of the '90s and early 2000s - launched its Wood
Milk campaign in April as a way to explain how plant-based milk
and real milk aren't the same. The campaign certainly made
quite a splash, and received a great deal of backlash.
In the satirical video, Wood Milk founder and actress Aubrey
Plaza introduces Wood Milk - 100% all-natural, milked wood.
Inspired by the idea
that milk can be made
out of anything, Plaza
looked at a tree and
thought
-
" could
Aubrey Plaza in " Wood Milk " campaign.
I drink this? " And
thus, Wood Milk was
born. Wood Milk's
campaign purports to
be designed to inspire
the next generation with
a beverage that is made from trees but tastes nothing like milk
and has none of the nutritional benefits.
The spot concludes with the tagline " Is your milk real? " An
official complaint was brought upon the USDA in May stating that
the campaign ad violates a law that prohibits federal agricultural
promotions from portraying products in a negative light.
In November, MilkPEP launched a second comedic campaign
called " OK2Milk " in an effort to combat what the organization
refers to as 'milk shaming' of consumers who choose real dairy
over milk alternatives.
Featuring Queen Latifah, MilkPEP
a parody-style public
released
service announcement and socialfirst
campaign about this trend.
The OK2MILK campaign is a full
digital ecosystem that includes
accounts across Instagram, TikTok
and YouTube in order to create a
community amongst milk lovers. THe
campaign also includes a dedicated
hotline for both milk lovers and milk
shamers, and a support website
with resources and an e-commerce
component featuring merchandise,
with proceeds of up to $10,000 going to Stomp Out Bullying. All
aspects are designed to reach younger consumers.
According to MilkPEP chief executive officer Yin Woon Rani,
" OK2Milk " campaign
featuring Queen Latifah.
the PSA was designed to highlight the absurdity of milk shaming
through comedy.
" Our Milk PSA initiative aims to highlight just how ridiculous
reactions to drinking the classic OG dairy milk have become
while encouraging the public that it's OK to say yes to dairy. "
12 NOV-DEC 2023 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
retail sales surging to $2.8 billion in 2022, " she
said. " Our research shows that 40.6% of US
households are buying plant-based milks, and
an impressive 75.7% of consumers make repeat
purchases, signifying that plant-based milk has
become a household staple. "
Proposals that suggest plant-based milks
should carry nutrient comparisons to cow's milk
imply that plant-based products are somehow
inferior to their dairy counterparts, Mulhall said.
" This notion disregards the fact that many of
the nutrients associated with animal-based milk
result from fortification, " she said. " Not only
is this suggestion discriminatory towards the
plant-based sector, but it also poses a significant
threat to the continued growth and innovation
within the plant-based foods industry. "
NUTRITION MATTERS
According to the draft guidance,
recommendations suggest that a plant-based milk
alternative product that includes the term " milk "
in its name (e.g., " soy milk " or " almond milk " ),
and has a nutrient composition that is different
than milk include a voluntary nutrient statement
that conveys how the product compares with
milk based on the US Department of Agriculture's
(USDA) Food and Nutrition Service fluid milk
substitutes nutrient criteria. For example, the
label could say, " Contains lower amounts of
Vitamin D and calcium than milk. "
The FDA also said that dairy foods,
including milk, are recommended by the Dietary
Guidelines as part of a healthy eating pattern
and contribute multiple key nutrients, including
protein and vitamins A and B-12, along with
calcium, potassium and vitamin D, which are
currently under-consumed. In addition, Dietary
Guidelines only include fortified soy beverages
in the dairy group because their nutrient
composition is similar to that of milk. However,
said the FDA, the nutritional composition of
plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA) varies
widely within and across types, and many
PBMAs do not contain the same levels of key
nutrients as milk.
As studies have always suggested, getting
enough nutrients in milk and fortified soy
beverages is particularly important in helping
children grow and develop. The argument
MilkPEP
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - November/December 2023

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