ARLINGTON, Va. —Milk is still the king of the hill choice for consumers over planted-based drinks.

Despite years of sluggish sales, milk in some ways is widening its lead in the race to refrigerators against planted-based drinks. That’s according to the National Milk Producers Federation fighting back against an industry it feels has picked a fight with false and misleading claims.

“This is about size and scope and how people interpret numbers. We’re just trying to put numbers in a context where people can understand what’s really going on,” said Alan Bjerga, senior vice-president communications for the NMPF based in Arlington, Va. .

NMPF recorded overall milk consumption was slightly down in the U.S. last year but total purchases still amounted to $13.88 billion. Total plant-based milk consumption increased 5.5 percent but sales barely exceeded $2 billion. 

NMPF also pointed out consumption of lactose-free milk is growing.

Sales of lactose-free milk in 2019 were up 11.9 percent compared to a 5.7 percent increase in sales for almond beverages, the most popular of the plant-based drinks, NMPF said. Lactose free milk sales increased from $1.25 billion to $1.4 billion in 2019. Almond milk sales rose from $1.339 billion to $1.416 billion in 2019. “At current trends, lactose free will out sell almond beverages this year,” Bjerga said. 

NMPF added sales of certain plant-based drinks like soy have dropped considerably and more than any decline in sales for actual dairy beverages. Sales of soy-based drinks fell 13 percent from $248 million in 2018.

Bjerga said plant-based beverage companies like to bill themselves as innovators, but the development of lactose-free milk and ultra-filtered milk in recent years are examples of innovation happening within the actual dairy industry. He said the mission of such innovation is meeting the different needs of consumers.

Bjerga stated that lactose free gives consumers the nutrition they’re looking for out of milk without the natural sugar component. The same consumers that turned to plant-based drinks to avoid lactose don’t receive the nutrition contained in actual milk.

Ultra-filtered removes some of the sugars while increasing the protein content. “If somebody is looking for taste, nutrition or performance of what they need a dairy beverage to do, dairy can meet that need and it’s going to meet that need better than a plant-based product. The growth of categories like lactose-free show that,” he said.

Bjerga also said oat beverages labeled as milk have increased dramatically in sales but in volume pale in comparison to any of the real dairy drinks on the market. He said the Food and Drug Administration wrongly allows nuts and oats run through grinders and mixed with water to be sold as milk but true dairy beverages will remain on the winning side with consumers. “The data points that out,” he said.