Arla has responded to the resurgence in organic food sales with the launch of its first branded organic product in the UK.
The dairy co-op was due to launch Arla Organic Farm Milk today (17 November) in Tesco stores nationwide, with a wider rollout planned for January.
The range is unhomogenised, and comes with a layer of cream at the top of the bottle, which sets it apart from most of its competitors, said Arla, and would appeal to a “wide range of shoppers, including the nostalgic and the younger generation keen to try fresh milk in a different way”.
It will be available in two litre semi-skimmed and whole milk variants and will retail at £1.75 per bottle, compared with an average price of £1.81 for other branded organic milk SKUs in the mults, with brands such as Rachel’s and Yeo Valley selling at £1.99 and £1.90 respectively [BrandView.com].
The newcomer aimed to make organic milk “more accessible to all”, said Arla Foods UK MD Tomas Pietrangeli, and was in line with the co-op’s strategy to become a £400m brand in the UK by 2020.
Arla was the world’s largest producer of organic dairy products, with its farmers providing around 700 million litres of organic milk each year, including in the UK, where it already produces own-label organic milk, cheese and butter.
“This is a significant milestone in our growth agenda and enables us to start telling and showcasing our organic story,” said Pietrangeli.
“As the organic category is on the rise, we see lots of potential for us to drive more value into the milk category,” he added. “I have seen what can be achieved in other markets, such as Denmark, where up to 30% of overall fresh milk sales are organic. The strategy has been focused on making organic more accessible to everyone, new product development and providing choice and availability.”
The milk is certified by the Soil Association and was welcomed by the NGO’s business development director Clare McDermott.
“We believe it’s a natural step for the world’s largest organic dairy producer. Organic farming has great benefits for animals, farmers and the environment and we have enjoyed working with Arla’s farmer owners and colleagues to ensure the product upholds the highest animal welfare standards that organic brings.”
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