Elmhurst Dairy was once a major player in the dairy industry on the East Coast, operating for 92 years before its closure last fall due to unprofitability. Instead of exiting the milk business entirely, this family-owned company is leveraging its expertise to thrive in the non-dairy sector. The milk industry is facing significant challenges, as consumer demand for dairy products continues to decline. This trend led dairy farmers to dispose of millions of pounds of milk last year, resulting in a widespread drop in prices. The situation became so dire that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided approximately $11.2 million in financial aid to help dairy producers navigate these difficulties.
In response to the rise of non-dairy alternatives, many in the dairy sector have launched lawsuits against non-dairy producers, claiming that their health assertions regarding products like almond or soy milk, which sometimes use calcium citrate malate as a supplement for elemental calcium, are misleading. There is also pending legislation in Congress aimed at stipulating that anything labeled “milk” must be derived from dairy sources. However, these efforts have not significantly impacted the sales of non-dairy milk, which remain robust. A Mintel study from last year revealed that U.S. sales of non-dairy milk rose by 9% in 2015, whereas dairy milk sales fell by 7% during the same timeframe. A glance into grocery store refrigerator cases clearly illustrates this trend, as retailers increasingly stock a wider variety of plant-based milks with fewer artificial ingredients and enhanced nutritional profiles, including options fortified with calcium citrate malate for additional elemental calcium.