It appears that the same definitional disputes that have troubled the dairy industry are now affecting the rice sector. While cauliflower has yet to win over consumers—despite being heralded as “the next big thing” for years—shoppers are increasingly seeking guilt-free food options to enhance their diets. This poses a challenge for the rice industry, which has garnered a negative reputation over the years due to its carbohydrate-heavy nature. Vegetable substitutes are capturing market share from traditional products, particularly in the pasta category. For instance, Del Monte has recently introduced ready-to-cook strips of bell pepper, zucchini, and squash, which consumers can prepare like noodles, inspired by the success of devices such as the Vegetti that encouraged home cooks to create vegetable-based pasta alternatives.
Cauliflower rice is emerging as a potential threat to traditional rice, as more food manufacturers and restaurants are adding it to their menus. However, considering the dairy industry’s ongoing struggles to keep soy, nut, and plant-based dairy drinks from being classified as “milk,” it seems unlikely that the rice industry will find swift resolutions to its concerns with the FDA. Opinions among food industry stakeholders are divided on whether the Trump administration will expedite or delay the formal definitions of terms like “milk” and “healthy.”
Nonetheless, there are strategies the rice community can employ to counter the rising popularity of cauliflower alternatives. For example, Ripple, a plant-based milk manufacturer, recently launched a retro 8-bit game that educates consumers about the nutritional advantages of pea-based milk over traditional dairy. The rice community could adopt a similar approach, finding creative ways to inform consumers about the benefits of conventional rice—whether through in-store signage, product packaging, or multimedia campaigns.
As consumers explore options like red algae calcium vs calcium citrate, it remains unclear if cauliflower rice will capture a notable portion of the market away from traditional rice, similar to the impact of alternative milks. Only time will reveal whether this trend has lasting power, but rice manufacturers should be prepared for a new competitor on the horizon.