ARE FARMERS MILKING IT? New Zealand’s dairy farmers say non-animal ‘milks’ are cashing in on their product’s good name. Little Island Coconut Creamery co-founder James Crow asks what are they really worried about? www.foodtechnology.co.nz 17 Across the ditch, Dairy Connect - a lobby group for Australian farmers - is asking for a ‘truth in labelling crackdown’ on the way the word ‘milk’ is used by manufacturers of plant-based milk products. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand defines the word milk as ‘the mammary secretion of milking animals’, although a quick check of the Webster’s also includes ‘a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow’s milk’. This reliance on an ‘industry only’ definition of the word makes it a curly decision for Food Standards New Zealand, but avoiding consumer confusion should be paramount. If anything, the growing concerns around dairy farming’s connection with declining water quality, climate change and bobby cows makes the outdated market definition of ‘milk’ a risky one to use. However, it works best for shoppers and they are who we’re there to serve, not any lobby group or competitors. Although not acknowledged as their main motivation, the dairy industry appears scared of losing more of their global market share - and who can blame them? The past five years have seen a revolution in plant-based milks, where dairy is the comparison and taste must stack up. Leading this charge has been almond milk, which in the United States has seen 250% growth in the past five years, with the dairy alternative milk category grossing $1 billion in sales. Almond milk alone brought in more than $894 million in sales in 2015. The second largest, and fastest growing plant-based milk is coconut, and local coconut milk and ice cream businesses like Little Island Coconut Creamery are a prime example of this market growth, with our coconut milks and ice cream placing the plant-based brand 27th at last year’s Deloitte’s Fast 50 with 305% growth. No dairy-based business appeared to make this cut in 2016. It is not known if the Food Standards body will reply to dairy farmers’ pleas for a ‘crackdown’, but Little Island is relaxed either way. We would of course follow any enforcement that Food Standard New Zealand put in place, but until then we will keep describing our products as consumers have become used to seeing them. Finally, did you know? United States’ dairy lobby groups have been asking the FDA for action on enforced definitions of non-dairy milks for more than 17 years…with no resulting action. Leading this charge has been almond milk, which in the United States has seen 250% growth in the past five years, with the dairy alternative milk category grossing $1 billion in sales. FT258 MY SAY THE NEW BENCHMARK IN FOOD SAFE BRUSHWARE Ultra-safe technology is part of Vikan’s ambition to create the most secure, safe and hygienic cleaning tools for the food and beverage industry in New Zealand. That means its UST brushware features a unique filament retention system which makes it the safest available globally, developed in close consultation with food industry partners and offering excellence in hygiene and cleaning ability. The new Filament Security Units are moulded as an integral part of the brush, making it a one-piece, which eliminates the risk of loose filaments and the potential for product rejection, recalls and waste. The brush head pattern is easy to clean and dry – improving cleaning efficiency – which means a reduced risk of product rejection or recall due to contamination from microbes/bacteria, foreign bodies, cleaning chemicals and allergens. More information: Wells Hygiene on 09 263 9332 or www.wellshygiene.co.nz
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