Beverage business Made Group has developed a whole new take on one of the most traditional beverages in the market, milk. Kim Berry spoke to co-founder and joint CEO Luke Marget.
Beverage business Made Group has been shaking up the sector since it entered the market with Australia’s first range of infused waters, NutrientWater, followed by the Impressed brand cold-pressed juices, Rokeby Farms protein smoothies, and Cocobella coconut water.
Made’s latest product to market takes the company’s innovative approach to a whole new realm.
ReMilk is 100 per cent fresh milk but has half the natural sugar and 50 per cent more protein.
“It is pretty ground-breaking,” says Marget, “We are using our patent pending cold filtration system that we have already been using with Rokeby Farms.”
ReMilk takes the innovation one step further than Rokeby, using the cold filtration to enrich the natural proteins while removing the lactose and some of the naturally occurring sugars.
“It was a case of knowing through our work on the Rokeby protein smoothies what we could do and then applying it to the sugar component.”
Milk is a very traditional category with not much innovation, beyond homogenisation, removing some of the fat or lactose.
In a category experiencing ongoing disruption from plant-based alternatives and the perpetual growth of the better-for-me category, Marget says the group found a gap in the market.
“ReMilk is a direct response to consumers looking for more tailored products to meet their nutrition needs. We have seen far more people becoming educated about sugar and wanting to cut it out of their diet, while increasing their protein intake. There has also been an increase in people with particular food sensitivities and allergies,” Marget says.
Dairy powerhouse
Marget is at pains to point out ReMilk is not a about to denigrate milk.
“Milk is an absolute powerhouse in terms of nutrients. Australians consume an average of 75 litres of milk every year, but many consumers don’t know how much sugar is in it, even though it is naturally occurring.
“A switch to ReMilk would allow someone to remove 1.7kilograms – about 400 teaspoons – of sugar from theirdiet every year. A standard latte has the equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar in it from themilk. That’s a meaningful amount of sugar to avoid,” Marget explains.
Made Group sources the milk from Gippsland, Victoria, with Marget pointing out the group starts with fresh milk and ends with fresh milk.
“It is exactly what you would expect from milk in terms of texture and flavour, so for consumers it becomes a simple swap at the dairy cabinet,” Marget says.
It is already stocked nationally (except Western Australia) in Woolworths and sits alongside other specialty milks. Marget says they have had “amazing” support from the supermarket giant, but there is still the challenge of educating consumers.
“We have a significant investment in our marketing to make sure people are aware of it,” he says.
The milk is currently available in a one litre format in full cream and low-fat varieties and is packaged in Tetra Pak’s fully recyclable bio-based Tetra Rex cartons.
The packaging is made entirely from plant-based, renewable materials. The first layer is paperboard made with wood fibres sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests and other controlled sources. Then two protective layers, derived from sugarcane, line either side of the paperboard.
The bio-based packages offer a more sustainable alternative to standard milk cartons and reduces the reliance on fossil-based polyethylene plastic in the lining.
Marget says the choice was a given, with the group investing in the necessary machinery.
“Reducing your carbon footprint and investing in sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but set as table stakes. Just as consumers are more educated about the nutrition of the food they eat, they are also demanding greater accountability and transparency across all parts of the companies making the food.
“Packaging is a major part of our business so we are constantly looking at how we can be as responsible as possible,” Marget says.
Made Group continues on its disruptive path, bringing new products in new formats to market.
This article first appeared in the May 2022 edition of Food & Drink Business.
