Dairy Company Reopens Former Cow’s Milk Plant As Plant-Based Facility

A Canadian dairy producer has reopened a former milk processing plant as a plant-based milk facility. Lactalis Canada will now use the site to produce unsweetened, high protein oat, almond, and hazelnut milks under its new brand, named “Enjoy!”.

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Lactalis shut down the Ontario plant in 2022 after six decades of processing milk there. At the time the company cited the “decreased profitability and economic sustainability” of producing milk in the facility.

Dairy products remain the core business of Lactalis, which is the world’s biggest dairy company. But Nathalie Cusson, General Manager of Lactalis Canada’s Fluid Division, said in a statement that “Enjoy! responds to a growing consumer demand for plant-based options that taste great and have positive health impacts.”

Canada’s taste for plant-based milk

Plant-based milks have grown steadily in popularity, with 30 percent of Canadians having tried dairy alternatives in the past year. Ten percent of overall milk sales in Canada come from plant-based milks.

Market analysis suggests that the ability of plant-based milks to match the nutritional content of dairy milk will factor in its future growth. Lactalis appears to have taken this into account. “What sets Enjoy! apart is its uniquely high protein content which consumers are increasingly desiring in their daily diet,” Cusson said. Each of the six flavors available contain 8g of pea protein per 250ml serving.

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