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The rise of alternative dairy products and/or plant-based milks, driven by the new generations, has relegated its original cow version to the background during the last few years. And it has even jeopardized the universal power and influence of the dairy industry; which has done its best to lure back into its orbit all those highly conscious personalities who decided to advocate products that were not derived from animals or involved their suffering in any way.
However, this year seems to have ushered in a new era of cow’s milk resurgence. A change in trend reflected in some US articles, supported by statistics that showed that 2020 was the first year in which consumption remained stable, while from 2021 onwards it began to decline.
Now, as with every trend of the modern era, TikTok is once again projecting this transition through an archive of videos that address the comeback of cow’s milk, most of them in a sarcastic way, joking about the change from oat milk to cow’s milk.
Whether for health reasons, dairy intolerance or changing habits and perceptions, the consumption of cow’s milk has been on the decline for the past few decades.
At the same time, the popularity of plant-based milks was soaring, with options ranging from soy, almond and oat to macadamia, sweet potato and pistachio. And, although on average we now drink less cow’s milk, Kuchler points out that we also consume more of it in dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. Per capita consumption of dairy products has increased in recent years.
There may not yet be enough empirical evidence to prove this real return of cow’s milk consumption, but whether by its projection on the Internet or its media impact, it seems to be gaining popularity again to coexist with all the alternative milks that have now equaled and even elevated its status in many parts of the world.
