Processing Equipment for Non-Dairy Milk

Fortune Business Insights reports that Non-Dairy milk holds 73% of the Global Dairy Alternatives Market and that the dairy alternatives market in the U.S. alone is expected to reach $53.97 billion by 2028.

What Is Non-Dairy Milk?

Non-dairy milk, also referred to as plant-based milk, is water infused with nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, coconut, or fruit. The resulting combination of chosen solid and water is then strained resulting in the flavored water known as plant milk. Most commercially available plant milks are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals and several are available in sweetened or flavored options. Types of non-dairy milk include:

Soy milk
Almond milk
Coconut milk
Oat milk
Hemp milk
Spelt milk
Rice milk
Pea milk
Pistachio milk
Walnut milk
Macadamia milk
Flax milk
Banana milk
Cashew milk
Hazelnut milk
Quinoa milk
Sesame milk

How Is Non-Dairy Milk Made?

As you might guess, the process for making non-dairy milk varies slightly by type but all of them are suspensions that most often result from the main ingredient (such as almonds or cashews) being soaked in water, then blended into a puree (with more water), heated (boiled) for sterilization and then strained.

The efficiency of equipment like the DC Norris Jet Cook system brings remarkable savings and improved product quality by emulsifying, entraining, heating, and agitating in one vessel.

See Jet Cook being used to make oat milk with pre-soaked oats here:

See Jet Cook being used to make oat milk with oat flour:

Innovation in Non-Dairy Milk

While non-dairy milks bring many benefits ranging from health to environmental impact, consumers are driving food businesses to pursue even more. This push is driving innovation in the non-dairy space with products like Joi Plant Milk Concentrates. Joi has developed concentrates and powders for popular non-dairy beverages (like oat, cashew, and almond milk) that are simply mixed with water by the serving. These concentrates offer manufacturers, restaurants, and more the benefit of safe extended shelf life even without refrigeration, reduced packaging waste, and eliminated fillers, gums, and added sugars.

Non-dairy milks are being used to make ice cream (even soft-serve!), yogurt, creamers, and more.