Plenish Introduces Four-Ingredient Protein Oat Milk Fit for the UK’s Clean-Label Era

Plenish, the clean-label plant-based dairy brand owned by Carlsberg Britvic, has expanded its Clean Protein range with a four-ingredient oat milk that contains no oils or additives.

The furore around ultra-processed foods has piqued consumer interest in clean-label food and drink products with short ingredient lists, and it’s a space the UK’s fastest-growing plant-based milk brand is targeting.

Plenish, which is owned by beverage giant Carlsberg Britvic, has launched a four-ingredient protein oat milk, eschewing the oils and additives present in most milk alternatives that keep consumers at arm’s length.

Billed as the UK’s only milk alternative of its kind, it’s part of Plenish’s Clean Protein range and made from gluten-free oats, water, pea protein, and oat protein. It delivers 4g of plant-based protein per 100ml serving.

Plenish eyes space for alternatives to ‘unnecessarily processed ingredients’

“We know today’s consumers are increasingly looking for easy ways to add more protein to their diets without having to completely change what they are eating or drinking, so we wanted to create something that fits naturally into everyday routines,” said Russell Goldman, managing director of breakthrough brands at Carlsberg Britvic.

“Many convenient protein options contain additives and unnecessarily processed ingredients, so we saw an opportunity to offer something that supports consumers with an easy way to top up their daily protein, while staying true to our mission of ingredient transparency and great-tasting products.”

The Clean Protein oat milk has a complete amino acid profile and offers a creamy taste and mouthfeel. According to Plenish, it can be incorporated into consumers’ existing routines to up their daily protein intake, whether it’s poured over cereal, stirred into oats, or blended into smoothies.

The launch comes as Brits go gaga over protein. Between 2024 and 2025, over two in five (43%) consumers in the UK increased their protein intake. Searches for natural protein are increasing 20% annually.

According to NielsenIQ, sales of protein-based foods hiked by nearly 10% in the six months to January 24. And this year, 14% are looking to add more protein to their diets.

The rise of GLP-1 drugs has contributed to this boom, with 9% of Brits already having used medications like Ozempic, and another 18% now considering them.

Users of weight-loss drugs experience a 25-40% decrease in muscle mass over eight to 16 months (several times more than non-medicated weight-loss approaches and age-related muscle loss), emphasising the need for protein in their diets.

UPF concerns drive clean-label demand

Plenish’s launch comes amid a lull in sales of non-dairy milk in the UK. Last year, value sales of these alternatives flatlined, registering a 0.5% increase, and volumes fell by 2.2%, according to Circana data crunched by the Good Food Institute Europe. Separate research predicts that the plant-based protein market is set to reach around $35B in value by 2030.

One of the major factors that would determine whether that forecast comes to fruition is the shift away from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which have ignited a debate that is often misunderstood yet highly influential in keeping people from purchasing products like plant-based milks.

A 5,200-person survey of British adults and nutritionists by Danone has found that nearly half of consumers seek foods with added benefits like protein or fibre (which require some processing), yet 72% are worried that processed foods are unhealthy.

The concerns around UPFs have driven demand for clean-label foods, as people associate short ingredient lists with elevated health credentials. According to Tastewise, clean labels are no longer a bonus – rather, they are a baseline for food products in the UK, where 58% of consumers now choose ‘all-natural ingredients’ over any other claim.

Previous research has predicted that 70% of the UK’s food and drink supply will consist of clean-label products by this year. Plenish, the UK’s fastest-growing plant-based dairy brand, has been banking on this health trend – last year, it rolled out an oil- and additive-free oat milk with zero sugar, using a process that avoids breaking down oats into natural sugars, as well as an “enriched” oat milk that contains no oils or additives.

And in April, it unveiled the Clean Protein range with two pea protein powders that carry a high-fibre claim and come in Madagascan vanilla and cocoa-sea salt flavours.