Dive Brief:
- Plant-based beverage brand Califia Farms announced its acquisition of Uproot Inc., a plant milk dispenser system for food service. The financial details were not disclosed.
- Uproot is expected to allow Califia to reach more consumers by expanding its presence in food service locations as Uproot’s turnkey technology dispenses plant-based milk to reduce packaging waste.
- The acquisition comes a few months after the California-based plant milk maker made another major move in a bid toward more sustainable packaging, transitioning all of its bottles in the U.S. and Canada to 100% recycled plastic in February.
Dive Insight:
Jacob Conway and Kevin Eve founded Uproot to provide consumers with healthy plant-based milk options in more sustainable packaging options. The turnkey technology is a plant milk dispensing program that offers a complete service from product formulation and distribution to high-volume liters for cafeterias and other foodservice mediums.
The company’s machines offer oat soy, and pea milk in chocolate flavor, and are operational on over 150 college and university campuses and other dining locations.
“The founders have achieved impressive distribution in just five years,” said Dave Ritterbush, CEO of Califia Farms in a statement. “We look forward to building on this foundation, connecting with consumers in new ways and providing our plant milks to more people.”
After Califia decided to move toward recyclable plastics in all of its packaging, Ritterbush said it had a “significant commitment to soften Califia’s environmental footprint,” and that the concept of circularity — one that includes reducing virgin materials and promoting the use of recycled ones — is “firmly embedded at Califia.”
Califia will use its technology to expand its Away From Home portfolio of products, unique to the food service arena.
Some other plant-based milk companies have been making strides toward more sustainable packaging options.
U.K. brands Mighty and Overherd have launched oat milk powders to replace cartons and Blue Farm has launched a Beetroot Oat Latte in powdered form.
