The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.For years, the tagline 'Got Milk?' occupied the national imagination, but there are an ever-increasing number of people who don't actually drink it (or simply can't).Lactose intolerance is common, affecting 40 million Americans and more than 60% of the global population. Unfortunately for those people, the love for the rich taste and texture of traditional cow's milk is also common, often forcing them to grit their teeth through the uncomfortable effects of their intolerance. People also abstain from milk for other health reasons (for example, it's been linked to acne) or ethical beliefs. Whatever the reason, it's clear that people are increasingly straying from traditional dairy milk. All you have to do is order an espresso drink and listen to the barista rattle off the never-ending list of dairy-free options to guess that they're in high demand.Milks made from almonds, macadamias, hemp, and even peas are now being used to sub in for cow's milk, and can be used in the exact same way: in your coffee, smoothies, baked goods, and desserts. They tend to have fewer calories, more calcium, and a comparable amount of protein, so you get increased nutritional benefits as well. If you love the taste and texture of traditional milk but don't love its effects, try the following dairy-free alternative brands.

1. Silk Milk Health Benefits

Silk

Owner	Groupe Danone
Country	United States
Introduced	1978
Markets	United States
Website	http://silk.com/

Silk is an American brand of dairy-substitute products (including soy milk, soy yogurt, almond milk, almond yogurt, Cashew milk, coconut milk, and other dairy-alternative products) owned by Danone North America (formerly WhiteWave Foods).

History[edit]

Silk was founded by Steve Demos in Boulder, Colorado in 1978. The first product was introduced in March 1996 by WhiteWave, Inc. at the Natural Foods Expo in Anaheim, California. In the years that followed, Silk became a successful, worldwide, organic brand.

In 2002 WhiteWave, Inc (parent of Silk Soymilk) was sold to Dean Foods for just under $300 million. The company's sales grew to $350 million in annual revenues by 2005. As the business grew, Silk became the largest purchaser of organic, Non GMO soybeans in North America.^{[citation needed]} According to Silk's web site in August 2009, all its soy beans are sourced from North America including organic and non-GMO soybeans.^[1]In January 2010, the company introduced Silk Pure Almond, an almond milk, and its first non-soy-based product.

In 2013, WhiteWave Foods separated from Dean Foods, and became an independent, publicly traded company.

Silk has been a five-year recipient of the Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.^{[2][3][clarification needed]} Silk has been a supporter of Farm Aid since 2002. Silk is a member of the Soyfoods Association of North America, (SANA) which provides information about the health benefits and nutritional advantages of soy consumption. Parasite in city download pc 2015.

In July 2016 it was announced that the French company Danone would purchase WhiteWave Foods for $10.4 billion.^[4] The acquisition was completed in April 2017 and newly formed company is named DanoneWave^[5]

Controversy[edit]

In the fall of 2009 the Pioneer Press reported that the Cornucopia Institute had made complaints to the U.S. Department of Agriculture accusing Silk producer Dean Foods and its WhiteWave Foods division, of shifting their products away from organics without properly notifying retailers or consumers.^[6][7] According to the Star Telegram and other news sources, Silk brand soy milk was made using organic soybeans switched to conventional soybeans while maintaining the same UPC barcodes and prices on the Silk products while replacing the word “organic” with “natural” on the Silk product packaging.^[8]

Silk maintains that it sources only domestic/U.S. soy beans. The brand has also enrolled all of its products in the Non-GMO Project's verification process.^[9]

Silk Milk Health Benefits

List of products[edit]

As of August 2017:^[10]

• Refrigerated soy milk: Vanilla, Original, Chocolate, Very Vanilla, DHA Omega-3, Organic Vanilla, Organic Unsweetened, Plain Plus Omega-3 DHA(discontinued 2013)
• Light soy milk: Original, Vanilla, Chocolate
• Shelf-stable soy milk: Original Aseptic, Vanilla Aseptic, Organic Unsweetened Aseptic, Starbucks Vanilla Aseptic (A special blend made for use and purchase in Starbucks' stores)
• Shelf-stable single-serve soy milk: Very Vanilla, Chocolate
• Specialty soy milk: Pumpkin Spice (seasonal), Nog (seasonal), Chocolate Mint (seasonal)
• Dairy-free yogurt alternative: Peach Almond, Strawberry Almond, Vanilla Almond, Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond, Plain Almond, Peach & Mango Soy, Blueberry Soy, Strawberry Soy, Vanilla Soy, Tropical Pineapple Soy, Plain Soy
• Creamer: Vanilla Soy, Original Soy, Hazelnut Soy, Vanilla Almond, Caramel Almond, Hazelnut Almond
• Almond milk: Vanilla, Original, Organic Original, Dark Chocolate, Unsweetened Vanilla, Unsweetened, Light Vanilla, Light Original
• Cashew milk: Original, Unsweetened, Unsweetened Vanilla, Chocolate
• Coconut milk: Vanilla, Original, Unsweetened
• Almond+Coconut Blend: Original Blend, Unsweetened Blend
• Protein nut milk: 2g Sugar, Vanilla, Chcolate

References[edit]

1. ^'Soybean Sourcing and Production Program'(PDF). www.silk.com. Archived from the original(PDF) on January 1, 2010. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
2. ^'Green Power Leadership Awards 2008 Winners'. United States Department of Energy. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
3. ^'Silk Wins Wind Power Award'. Silk Website. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
4. ^http://fortune.com/2016/07/13/danone-whitewave-acquisition-2/
5. ^http://www.dairyreporter.com/Manufacturers/Danone-completes-acquisition-of-WhiteWave-to-create-DanoneWave
6. ^Twin Cities.com Pioneer Press, 'Watchdog charges Target'
7. ^Cornucopia Institute web site
8. ^'Grocers Irked to Find Out Soy Milk Not Organic'. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 2010-04-19.^{[dead link]}
9. ^[1]
10. ^'All Silk Products: Silk'. silk.com. Retrieved August 5, 2017.

External links[edit]