Hybrid dairy is a new sector in the dairy business that mixes plant-based components with dairy to provide customers with new options, outstanding flavor, and good nutrition. According to market research company Mintel, there is significant interest in this area, with surveys done by Mintel in collaboration with Kantar or Dynata during 2022-23 revealing items that look interesting to a large number of customers. In France, 42% of respondents agreed that products that combine a dairy alternative as a main ingredient with dairy would be appealing, while in the Republic of Ireland, 56% of cheese users said they would be interested in trying hybrid cheese, and 26% in Thailand said they would be interested in trying hybrid yogurt.
The potential arises because consumers are increasingly identifying as flexitarians, which means they want to eat more plant-based meals while limiting their consumption of animal products. This is referred to as ‘flexi-dairy-anism’ by Mintel, which means drinking both dairy and plant-based milk. In the United States, 47% of survey participants had not yet tasted non-dairy milk, but in the United Kingdom, 80% of respondents reported drinking both plant-based and dairy milk in the three months before April 2023.
However, consumers are hesitant to entirely eliminate dairy for a variety of reasons, including intolerance, a desire to eat and drink healthier goods, a conviction that non-dairy is better for the environment, and a desire to consume more plant-based meals. To appeal to flexitarian dairy customers, businesses could make current hybrid goods more ‘actively relevant’ to them by stressing both dairy and plant-based components.
Hybrid dairy may also be positioned as an economical alternative to plant-based milk for a group of customers known as “reluctant dairy lovers.” Adding plant-based components to dairy products may help retain fiber-conscious customers, since 65% of Polish consumers believe yoghurts and yoghurt drinks with extra fiber would be desirable. Finally, businesses should emphasize the flavor and enjoyment that plant-based products can provide, as many customers express a desire to move to more non-dairy choices.
