It’s a Game-Changing Day in the Dairy Industry: Say Hello to the Industry’s First Fresh Milk and Plant Blended Beverage (A Daily Dose of Dairy/BerryOnDairy.com exclusive)

It takes a lot for me to say wow. I’m rolling out the red carpet for this innovation. And guess what? I knew about it for a few months and was able to keep a secret!

The highly creative team at Live Real Farms, a new brand owned and managed by Dairy Farmers of America, is rolling out what I believe is the first fresh milk blended beverage in the marketplace. The company is combining the best of pure dairy with almonds or oats to make Live Real Farms Dairy Plus Milk Blends.

Live Real Farms, owned by more than 8,000 family-farms across the U.S. and inspired by the wonder of real--real food, real dairy and real nourishment—just started shipping the Dairy + Blends beverages throughout Minnesota. Distribution will expand in the fall and hopefully this milk plus plant beverage will find its way to refrigerators across the country.

Using a unique blending process, Live Real Farms takes nature’s pure milk from 100% family-owned farms and creates a whole new milk taste and texture with just the right amount of sweetness. The combination of the flavor of almonds or oats that consumers love with the protein power of dairy will satisfy the demands of families seeking the best of both worlds!

The new beverage comes in five lactose-free varieties. They are:

• Dairy Plus Almond-Original: 70 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 6 grams sugar (no added sugars) and 5 grams protein
• Dairy Plus Almond-Unsweetened Vanilla: 70 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 6 grams sugar (no added sugars) and 5 grams protein
• Dairy Plus Almond-Sweetened Vanilla: 110 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 16 grams sugar (10 grams are added sugars) and 5 grams protein
• Dairy Plus Almond-Chocolate: 140 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 23 grams sugar (17 grams are added sugars) and 5 grams protein
• Dairy Plus Oat-Original: 110 calories, 2 grams fat, 8 grams sugar (2 grams are added sugars) and 5 grams protein

The inclusion of the lactase enzyme allows for the lactose-free claim, which is important to many shoppers. The beverage is also free of artificial colors and flavors, another desirable product claim.

A new advertising campaign highlighting the taste, nutrition and versatility of this new beverage is breaking in Minnesota. The message is that the beverage is a: “Purely Perfect New Blend.” I agree.

To learn more and view a video on the new beverage line, link HERE.

Blends keep milk in the diet while also appealing to the growing number of consumers who want to include more plant-based foods in their diet.

A recent review of literature published in Advances in Nutrition showed that adequate consumption of milk and dairy products at different life stages can help prevent various chronic diseases. The review was coordinated by Professor Angel Gil of the University of Granada and Professor Rosa Ortega of the Complutense University of Madrid. The study reviews worldwide scientific literature on the role of dairy products in health and in the prevention of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic syndrome, colon or bladder cancer, and type 2 diabetes. It also examines the effects of dairy products on growth, bone mineral density, generation of muscle mass, and during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

To read more, link HERE.

Congrats to the creative team at Live Real Farms! This is what innovation is all about!