Grassmilk Is A Thing. But, The Next Big Thing?
Sure, you've heard of grass-fed beef. And organic milk is certainly nothing new. But what about organic, grass-fed milk? That's right, organic, grass-fed milk: two big buzz words in just one product. And Whole Foods is taking notice – Organic Valley's version is the company's best-selling item at the national market.
So, what exactly is it and why are people snatching it off the shelves? The whole milk is made from grass-fed cows, has cream on top and is lightly pasteurized with heat. Preliminary research has shown that milk made from pasture-grazing cows contains more healthy omega-3s than milk from other ("normal") cows. While Grassmilk (as it's branded in stores) is a long ways from making a national impact, it highlights a noticeable trend. Consumers are continuing to purchase more and more items with perceived health benefits, advertised with words like "organic", "grass-fed" or – in this case – both. They view the extra dollar or two spent per carton (a half-gallon of Grassmilk goes for $6, around $1 more than organic milk and about double the cost of regular milk) as a long-term investment in their health.
No longer just a thing of Brooklyn food co-ops and local farmers' markets, Grassmilk is definitely worth monitoring. If nothing else, there's just something about grass-fed, organic milk that we feel is a tremendous conversation starter.
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