Watermelon Seed Milk Is The Latest Dairy-Free Innovation

Força Foods recently launched the “world’s first” watermelon seed-based plant milk.

Força’s MILKish is free from soy, gluten, sugar, nuts, carrageenan, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. It combines pea protein with its star ingredient: the watermelon seed.

On its website, Força describes watermelon seeds as a “climate-friendly superfood” with a water footprint 99 percent lower than almonds. The Californian, Latino-owned beverage company announced the new product in a release published to BEVNET in September.

Força’s MILKish contains just 50 calories per serving, along with 2g of protein and 35 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium. It also contains 35 percent of the RDA for vitamin E, 10 percent of vitamin D, and six percent of potassium.

MILKish is available in Unsweetened Vanilla and Unsweetened Original flavors. The products are currently listed on Força’s website as a six-pack of 32 oz cartons for USD $29.99, and according to the brand will soon be available in stores.

Plant-based milks all more sustainable than dairy

Photo shows a carton of Força Foods MILKish, a watermelon seed-based plant milk, and someone pouring a jug of the same into a cup of coffee — Força Foods Some plant milks are more sustainable than others, but the dairy industry is proven to have a significant negative impact on animals and the environment

While some plant milks may be more sustainable than others, all plant-based alternatives are much better for the environment than traditional dairy milk. (Including those sold in plastic packaging.) A 2023 scientific review published in the journal Nutrients noted this along with the potential nutritional benefits of plant milks.

“Our observations highlight that substituting dairy milk with a fortified PBDA [plant-based dairy alternatives] does not compromise the overall nutritional quality of the diet while significantly reducing the environmental footprint,” wrote the review’s authors.

The BBC’s Science Focus also compared the environmental impact of dairy with several of the most common plant-based milks. Science and technology educator Luis Villazon noted that “all of the non-dairy milks are much better for the environment than cow’s milk.”

The launch of Força’s MILKish comes as plant-based brands of all kinds streamline their products to offer more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and nutritious options.

Oatly recently introduced an XL carton for its barista oat milk, reducing the amount of packaging per liter. Meanwhile, Milkadamia has developed the first-ever flat-packed oat milk, cutting its own packaging waste by a huge 94 percent.

Earlier this year, Califia Farms launched its “Complete Kids” line, which blends peas, chickpeas, and fava beans for a particularly nutritious plant-based milk.