Mooala Brands, LLC, or simply Mooala, is an American beverage company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Primarily known for their "bananamilk" product,[1][2] the company manufactures various dairy substitute products that are organic and plant-based. [3]
 Mooala bananamilk | |
| Industry | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 30, 2012 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Jeff Richards (Founder and CEO) |
| Products | Plant-based dairy-alternative beverages and creamers |
| Website | mooala |
History
editJeff Richards founded Mooala Brands, LLC on November 30, 2012, in Dallas, Texas.[4][5] After being diagnosed as lactose intolerant in 2012, Richards began experimenting with different recipes to find a dairy-alternative milk.[6] Due to his mild nut allergy, Richards began with bananas because, as he noted, they "are free of the top eight allergens."[6] Richards then "took the recipe to the University of Minnesota to make sure it was something that could be commercially produced."[6] He and the university were able to "achieve a rich, creamy flavor" using a batching and cooking process including bananas, sunflower seed butter, cinnamon, and sea salt.[2][6] The resulting flavor is akin to banana nut bread.[2][6]
Mooala products were first introduced at local Royal Blue Grocery stores in Dallas, in August 2016.[7] The company's catalog initially included just beverages, notably their "bananamilk" line, but also almond milk and oat milk variants.[8] In February 2018, Mooala announced the company raised $5 million in equity capital in order to facilitate expansion.[9] Fast Company documented Mooala as having the fastest growth in 2018 year-over-year sales "among newcomers to the alt-milk category."[2]
In July 2019, Mooala launched plant-based creamers.[8] In November, Mooala completed a $8.3 million Series A equity financing.[10][11] By this time, Mooala was sold in major grocery chains such as Whole Foods, Kroger, and Costco, among others.[5]
In early 2020, the company experienced high levels of growth, compared to its 2019 figures.[12] However, the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States invoked fears of meat shortages, resulting in the company experiencing further growth as part of the broader growth in the plant-based industry.[12] In October, the company expanded to include non-perishable versions of its products.[13] In December, Mooala launched the beverage industry's first keto vegan milk.[14]
Reception
editThe original banana milk variant has received generally positive reception from online reviewers and general consumers,[15] as well as media publications.[16][17] In 2019, Sara Cagle of Brit + Co wrote positively of Mooala's banana milk, commenting that "the lightly sweet blend of water and puréed bananas differs from its more neutral non-dairy predecessors in that it actually tastes like its main ingredient — bananas."[16] Writing for CNET, Amanda Capritto opined that the banana milk "is actually rather yummy (if you like bananas)," adding that "taste-wise, banana milk compares to sipping on a 'healthified' milkshake. It's sweet, slightly fruity and super-creamy."[17]
When analyzing its health benefits, Shape wrote that "In general, banana milk might seem like a winner, especially since it boasts essential nutrients and half the calories and two-thirds the fat of two-percent milk," but added that its lack of protein and fiber should be noted.[18]
References
edit- ^ Richards, Jeff (February 17, 2020). "Expanding a brand that's expanding the plant-based milk category" (Interview). Interviewed by Cernansky, Rachel. New Hope Network. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
Our best seller is the Original Banana milk, which is also our claim to fame and a unique product.
- ^ a b c d Paynter, Ben (July 26, 2019). "Even bananas are getting milked in the race for alt-dairy products". Fast Company. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Roberts, L, Jeff. "Ph of bananas". Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Mooala Brands LLC". Bloomberg Markets. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Mooala Secures $8.3 Million Series A Financing Round Led by Sweat Equities" (Press release). PR Newswire. November 5, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Bandoim, Lana (September 30, 2019). "Banana Milk Joins The Dairy Wars". Forbes. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ McFarland, Susan (October 14, 2016). "Dallas Startup Moo-ves into the $894M Dairy-free Milk Market". Dallas Innovates. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Mooala Launches Organic Plant-Based Creamers with Zero Sugar per Serving" (Press release). PR Newswire. July 16, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ "Mooala secures financing for ongoing expansion" (Press release). PR Newswire. February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ "Dairy-free beverage startup Mooala secures $8.3 million in funding". Institute of Food Technologists. November 6, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Balu, Nivedita (January 14, 2020). "Exclusive: Almond milk maker Califia raises $225 million, on coattails of Beyond Meat IPO". Reuters. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b King, Rachel (May 15, 2020). "Plant-based food sales see greatest gains yet as meat shortage fears grow". Fortune. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020.
- ^ "Mooala Expands Beyond the Refrigerated Case with Launch of Organic, Non-Perishable Plant-Based Beverages". Markets Insider (Press release). PR Newswire. October 21, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Starostinetskaya, Anna (December 18, 2020). "Mooala Launches World's First Vegan Keto Milk". VegNews. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Clark, Heather (May 8, 2020). "Aldi's New Banana Milk Has Everyone Talking". Mashed. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Cagle, Sara (February 14, 2019). "Banana Milk Is Our New Fave Creamer, and We're Not Monkeying Around". Brit + Co. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Capritto, Amanda (October 27, 2020). "Oat milk vs. almond milk vs. coconut milk: What is the best plant-based milk?". CNET. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Falk, Megan (November 20, 2020). "What Is Banana Milk, and Is It Healthy?". Shape. Retrieved February 16, 2021.