Follow-up: Coca-Cola Does Milk?

Image courtesy Fairlife

I last wrote about Fairlife, the new brand of “better-for-you-milk” from Coca-Cola. Yesterday, I found some at my local Kroger, decided to (almost literally) put my money where my mouth is and bought a bottle of the two-percent…

My initial impression is positive. The taste is practically identical to real milk, and the texture is just a bit thicker (though not unpleasantly so). I’d say it’s comparable to most organic milks I’ve tried. In terms of health benefits, I’m mildly lactose intolerant, and Fairlife didn’t bother me. Since I’ve only had one glass, I can’t speak to the long-term benefits of the additional calcium and less sugar.

My two-person market research also yielded  interesting results. I showed the bottle to my mom, and she said it “looked like milk of magnesia.” When I told the checkout lady Fairlife was made by Coke, she just shook her head. I trust Coca-Cola did much more in-depth work than this, so I yield to their expertise.

Bottom line: Since it costs twice as much as regular milk, I personally would only repurchase it as a occasional treat (especially the chocolate version). If you’re lactose intolerant and don’t care for soy or almond milk, definitely consider Fairlife. Otherwise, there are lots of other options out there to try.

Coca-Cola Does Milk?

Marking its entry into the dairy category, Coca-Cola recently launched a new brand called Fairlife. The

new line of milk products will have more protein and calcium and protein, plus less sugar than their traditional counterparts. Plus, it will be lactose free. According to the brand’s website, it achieves these differences by using a special “ultra-filtration” process.

It looks like Fairlife is only in test markets right now, but I’ll be curious to see how it performs when/if it gets national distribution. I know protein and calcium are essential to our diets, less sugar is a good thing and a significant number of people are lactose intolerant. However, with the exception of its Minute Maid brand, Coca-Cola doesn’t have a reputation for healthy products. Even some Minute Maid juices have high fructose corn syrup. True, not every consumer will know that Fairlife is a Coke brand, but it will still be made by a company that generally produces indulgent products.

Not to mention, many competitors to traditional milk beat Fairlife to the market – for example soy milk and almond milk. Many view these products as comparable to “real” milk in taste and health benefits, so Fairlife will have to work hard to carve a niche out for itself.

Finally, Business Insider says Fairlife costs twice as much as traditional milk, which would definitely prevent some budget-conscious consumers from embracing it.

If Fairlife comes to Cincinnati, I’ll definitely give it a shot. However, the higher price point would keep me from making it a weekly purchase. What do the rest of you think?