page_title: Pea milk
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Pea milk / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Milchersatzprodukte in einem Supermarktregal
context_page_description: Pea milk is a type of plant milk made using pea protein, which is made of yellow peas. Commercial pea milk typically comes in sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate flavours, and is usually enriched with vitamins. It is marketed as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to almond milk and a non-GMO alternative to soy milk. The two largest brands of pea milk are Ripple Foods and Bolthouse Farms. Pea milk is a plant-based alternative to dairy milk. It is available in several countries including the USA, UK and Australia and is vegan, nut free and lactose free. Pea milk is a part of plant milks, which are gaining in popularity due to increased lactose intolerance among consumers and demand for environmentally sustainable products. The plant-based milk industry as per 2019 estimates is worth approximately $5 billion USD and will reach a value of $26 billion USD in 5 years. There has been research in the role of pea proteins in preparing infant formula, yoghurt and calf mixtures. The colour is off-white and pea milk is made through crushing yellow split peas and mixing the soluble components with water. Pea milk may also be prepared at home.
context_section_description: Before commercial production of 'milks' from legumes, beans and nuts, plant-based mixtures that are supposed to resemble milk have existed for thousands of years. These 'milks' aim to contain the same proteins, vitamins and lipids as those produced by lactating mammals.
  Plant-based milks have emerged as an alternative to dairy to consumers in response to dietary needs and also due to the recent popularity of environmentally friendly products, especially over the last decade. The plant-based milk industry in the USA is worth $1.8 billion per annum. In 2018 the value of 'dairy alternatives' was said to be $8 billion. It was also published in Huffington Post that due to health and environmental reasons as well as changing consumer trends, more individuals are purchasing a non-dairy alternative to milk. In Australia, there is decreased confidence within the dairy industry, with only 53% being optimistic in the future profitability and demand for dairy products as per a Dairy Australia report.
  Only 73% percent of young people in the UK aged between 16 and 24 drink dairy cow's milk, compared to 94% in 1974. A key dietary reason for the increase in popularity of plant-based milks such as pea milks is lactose intolerance, for example, the most common food causing intolerance in Australia is lactose and affects 4.5% of the population. In the United States, around 40 million people are lactose intolerant. Another dietary trend that has emerged is an intake of increased protein, and pea protein powders have also been released to meet this demand. Pea milk is also a suitable product for soy allergies. 
  A scientific journal article argued that plant-milk companies send the message that plant milks are 'good and wholesome' and dairy milk is 'bad for the environment', and the article also reported that an increasing amount of young people associate dairy with environmental damage. There has been an increased concern that dairy production has adverse effects on biodiversity, water and land use. These negative links between dairy and the environment have also been communicated through audiovisual material against dairy production, such as 'Cowspiracy' and 'What the Health'. Animal welfare concerns have also contributed to the declining popularity of dairy milk in countries such as US and UK.
  Pea milk was introduced in the UK retail market by the brand Mighty Society, and in Australia by the Freedom Foods Group. It was introduced in the US Whole Foods Markets in 2015 by Ripple. By 2018 pea milk was available in more than 10,000 stores in the US such as Kroger and Target. Other brands of available pea milk in North America include Silk, Veggemo and Suja.
caption: Plant-based milks in a supermarket shelf
exif: {}