In commoditised categories such as dairy, growth is increasingly being driven by value alongside volume. Value-added niches such as premium whey ingredients and meal replacement products are making headlines as dairy majors scramble to land a winning proposition either organically or through bolt-on investments.
But staying ahead doesn’t always require major structural or portfolio optimisations. Sparking consumer excitement can be as simple as innovating with texture to formulate products that deliver a premium feel – and justify their premium price tag.
Why texture matters
Texture signals superior quality and indulgence in the dairy space. From ‘decadently creamy’ to ‘ooey-gooey’ and ‘silky smooth’, brands use descriptive language to hint at their product’s elevated sensory properties.
But a label claim would count for very little if the consumer experience disappoints. The reverse is also true – get the texture right, and you’re sure to leave an impression, even if your brand is a newcomer.
Take US probiotic ice cream brand Alec’s Ice Cream and its Culture Cup range, for example. The company’s route to market and subsequent expansion may have been rockier had it not cracked a key textural element – adding a thick layer of chocolate on top of its Culture Cups.
To reach the ice cream layer, consumers must ‘break through’ the chocolate shell on top. That way, texture ignites excitement and galvanises a simple snacking occasion into a fun moment.
So what are the textural properties that brands are focusing on the most?
Smooth, creamy and dense
In the dairy aisle, texture is all about indulgence – with richness, smoothness, lightness and thickness all playing a role across formats and SKUs.
Commoditised categories such as cottage and cream cheese have been reinvigorated largely thanks to texture innovation.
In the UK, challenger brands Alterego and All Things Dairy entered the cottage cheese scene with products that have a denser, creamier texture than private-label alternatives. This has not only enhanced consumer experience but has also elevated meal occasions, with the two brands’ products suitable for snacking and cooking alike.
Lactalis brand Président is seeking to fill a niche in another category that has seen little innovation over the years. The brand’s Whipped Cream Cheese delivers an airy and creamy mouthfeel that isn’t matched by traditional spreadable cheeses in the UK. Versatility is once again a selling point here – with the Whipped Cream Cheese at home across snacking, entertaining and meal preparation.
Cheese can also surprise and delight, and not just through meltability and stretch. Galbani’s Burrata Minis are an example of how premium mozzarella can play in the snacking space. The mini cheese balls hide a creamy, soft middle, combining portion format innovation with indulgent texture cues.
Crunch, stretch and foaming
For some brands, crunch is where the game is at. Ice cream major Häagen-Dazs recently expanded its stickbar range with new flavours while also doubling down on texture by formulating a thicker chocolate coating with extra nuts and bits.
In the dairy alternatives space, delivering dairy-like foaming, melting and stretch properties across plant-based products continues to dominate the agenda.
But the sector is also facing pressure to reduce its reliance on additives and gums, making formulation challenges more difficult to solve. But when there’s a will, there’s a way.
Rude Health’s premium barista range – comprising two SKUs, Pistachio, and Hazelnut – relies on kitchen cupboard ingredients to deliver it all – from satisfying taste that also works in coffee, to superior foaming and mouthfeel properties.
The range taps into modern flavour trends while also bringing versatility – the alt milks can be used for both cold and hot drinks and paired with cereal at breakfast, and much more beyond. These are premium products with premium price tags – but the combination of clean label, barista functionality and on-trend flavours justify their positioning.
In cheese alternatives, melt has been a major challenge and an opportunity for brands. In US retail, Miyoko’s Oat Milk Taco Blend Seasoned Shreds use melt and cheese-pull as proof of dairy-like performance; while Daiya Dairy-Free Cream Cheese packets mimic the bagel/cream-cheese experience in a foodservice format.
And so, texture continues to shape innovation across the dairy and alt dairy space, with brands continuing to tackle familiar challenges while also getting creative to spark excitement in categories that have for years been left behind.
