As more and more people turn to plant-based milk in place of the traditional dairy products, milk based on beans like oats and almonds among others are gaining popularity. While oats have been dominating the alt-milk market for quite some time, another challenger is entering the fray. British supermarket chain Waitrose is now selling Dug, a potato-based milk brand from Sweden, in 220 stores.
Made in the UK, Dug’s ingredients include pea protein, rapeseed oil and potato. It describes itself as “super sustainable” and has worked with CarbonCloud, an organization dedicated to measuring carbon footprints of food. Potato cultivation requires significantly lower carbon emission than dairy milk. Growing potatoes is also twice as efficient as oats and uses less water than almonds, as per report.
The arrival of potato milk signals a growing awareness of the impact that animal farming brings to the environment. Waitrose’s alternative milk buyer, Alice Shrubsall, says sales of milk alternatives had “gone from strength-to-strength over the past few years” and is showing no sign of slowing down. She also notes that customers are becoming more experimental with their choices, signifying a potential for more growth going forward.
Images: @dugdrinks/IG