Oat drinks fastest growing plant-based beverage
Consumer love for oat drinks is snowballing, propelling oats past other plant-based raw materials to become the most important ingredient in many large markets. Oat beverages are by far the fastest growing plant-based drink that consumers love pouring in their coffee, on their breakfast cereal and using anywhere else they’ve typically used milk from cows. Get all you need to seize this huge opportunity, with a complete solution from a pioneer in oat beverage processing and packaging.
Oat drinks are booming – three key trends driving oat growth
Suddenly, oat drinks are everywhere — maybe even replacing dairy milk in your own cup of coffee this morning. Beverage producers of all kinds — from dairies to soft drinks manufacturers to start-ups — have taken note and are scrambling to get in on the act. But even after several years of exponential growth in key markets, industry experts suggest the popularity of oat drinks is just getting started.
Quick guide to oat beverage production
Oats are taking over fast. So what do you need to do right now to capitalise on the oat beverage boom? How should you design your process to achieve the right product quality, secure food safety and be as cost and resource-efficient as possible? What’s your quickest, smartest path to launch — a new complete line or conversion of an existing line? And which base material should you choose to optimise your operational and investment costs and time to market?
Flexible production is crucial
For producers who want to capture the growing number of consumers who favour plant-based beverages over dairy milk, one thing is crucial: flexibility. With consumer trends shifting fast, the ability to test new products and scale up quickly is a must to help you keep up. So how can you get the required flexibility built-in from the start? And easily upgrade as new demands arise and sales grow?
On the road to net zero: How to reduce energy, water and waste in oat beverage production
As consumer demand for environmentally responsible food and beverages continues to surge, producers are looking for opportunities to save energy, conserve water and minimise waste in their operations. This is true in particular for producers of oat drinks, who are riding a wave of popularity with consumers. By investing in the right equipment, considerable reductions can be made in utility consumption and waste generation throughout the production process. But where to begin?
Mouthfeel and oat beverages
The term “mouthfeel” is used to describe sensations we experience when eating or drinking. It is more important to us humans than you might think. Case in point: The English language has more than 80 words that apply to mouthfeel, while the Japanese have an astonishing 400+ words. This goes to show just how essential it is to our perception and enjoyment of food and beverages.
The surprising versatility of oats
Oat drinks are extremely versatile in formulation. This lets you target specific consumers with tailored product profiles – and produce more or less any product you could formulate with ordinary dairy milk:
- Clean-label – just water, oats, oil, salt
- Functional – with nutrients such as calcium and vitamins or stabilisers for specific properties
- Flavoured – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc.
- Blended – with milk or fruit juice
- Beyond beverage – 10-15% oat extract for yoghurt, cooking cream, cheese, ice cream and more
Best-practice lines
Best-practice line for oat beverages – based on oat flakes or grains
This line includes grinding and a highly controlled enzyme treatment and deactivation process to achieve the desired product flavour. Fibre separation, powerful high shear mixing and homogenisation optimise beverage properties. Heat treatment ensures food safety.
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Best-practice line for oat beverages – based on oat flour
This line begins with powerful high shear mixing. Next comes a highly controlled enzyme treatment and deactivation process to achieve the desired product flavour. Fibre separation, powerful high shear mixing and homogenisation optimise beverage properties. Heat treatment ensures food safety.
View this line in ProductXplorer
Best-practice line for oat beverages – based on oat compound
This line begins with powerful high shear mixing to give you full formulation control, allowing you to fine tune products to match consumers’ texture and taste preferences. Choose between two different heat treatment methods to ensure food safety.
View this line in ProductXplorer