Sacramento, Calif.-based Blue Diamond Growers said it expanded into the nondairy yogurt-alternative category with Almond Breeze yogurt alternative.

Mooala, Dallas, announced the launch of a line of organic plant-based creamers made with a base of coconut cream and almonds and no added sugars.

The company uses a fermentation process to produce the proteins found in cow’s milk.

The offerings are made with an oat base and live and active cultures.

These days, a press release for a plant-based dairy alternative is almost as likely to hit my email inbox as one for a genuine dairy product.

If William McCormack, business development manager for nutrition at Wauconda, Ill.-based Synergy Flavors, noticed anything at the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., it's that the current fad for plant-based dairy alternatives is anything but a fad.

In 2017, Target Corp. released a TV commercial in which the father says that he's going on a milk run and asks what everyone wants. One child says skim milk, one says chocolate milk and the third child says that she's not doing dairy this week.

Plant-based diets are gaining traction among consumers, institutions and even government recommended dietary guidelines. Although the health benefits of consuming more vegetables, fruits and plant-based proteins are well-founded, "plant-based" is sometimes misconstrued to mean the elimination of animal-derived foods such as dairy milk.