Organic Valley Makes Trendy Changes to Milkshakes

American dairy brand, Organic Valley — a company mostly recognized for its line of hormone, pesticide and antibiotic-free butter, cheese and milk products — is making a change to its line of milkshakes. The line of high-protein, ultra-filtered organic milkshakes under the Fuel brand have been reformulated to include less added sugar and feature a new flavor.

The Fuel milkshakes will now contain 50 percent less added sugar than before, accompanied by 20 grams of pasture-raised organic protein so consumers can enjoy their milkshake with less guilt. The company claims to have reduced the sugar content by using an innovative filtering process that reduces the amount of the naturally-occurring sugar, lactose, found in milk.

In addition to chocolate and vanilla, the beverage line is adding a coffee flavor to the mix, for consumers who are looking for an extra caffeine boost to “fuel” their day. The new coffee milkshake will contain the same amount of caffeine as an 8-ounce cup of java.

“Consumers want options that taste great and adhere to the strict USDA organic guidelines from a company that aligns with their values,” says Laurie Drake, senior brand manager at Organic Valley. “Organic Valley Fuel provides all that and more — great taste, high-protein, low sugar, and the added benefit of knowing that the product comes from our cooperative of small family farmers that are committed to upholding the highest standards of animal care.”

Organic Valley’s new and improved shelf-stable products will sell nationwide for a retail price of $2.99 per 11-ounce carton, with four and twelve-packs retailing at $10.99 and $29.00, respectively.

The dairy company first launched Fuel back in 2014 due to an increase in demand for products high in protein and low in sugar.

As these ingredient preferences continue to drive growth in the market, industry giants are taking notice. Hershey’s recently invested in reduced sugar protein candy bar line, Fulfil, and Kellogg’s bought-out health-based protein snack line, RXBAR, in 2017.

Allied Market Research indicates that the organic food market is expected to be worth $327,600 million by 2022, compared to its value of $115,984 million in 2015. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if Fuel’s organic branding will boost sales compared to conventional protein-infused milk competitors such as Fairlife in the years to come.