Cold-pressed juice brand Juisi has introduced NÜMOO, a new line of organic, dairy-free nut milks that are high pressure processed and made without the use of stabilizers, gums, lecithin, vitamin packs or extracts. Juisi co-founder Joe Savino believes that the formulation of NÜMOO products differentiates them from current nut milk options on the market and that the brand has the potential to redefine the dairy-free milk category.
“When people think of almond milk now, they’re thinking of the big players out there like Silk and different WhiteWave products, which really aren’t almond milk,” Savino told BevNET. “They’re not clean [label] ingredients. It’s not something you would make at home. We’re looking to take almond milk and make it exactly the way you would create it in your kitchen, except we’re doing it in a ready-to-drink format.”
Sweetened with either dates or maple syrup, the line comes in seven varieties: Raw Chocolate Almond, Vanilla Bean Cashew, Strawberry Pecan, Dark Chocolate Pistachio, Vanilla Bean Pistachio, Strawberry Pistachio, and Espresso Pistachio Latte. Packaged in 12 oz. bottles, the nut milks are co-packed and processed at FreshBev LLC, a producer of cold-pressed juices and mixers, and made using specialized milling equipment to give them a smooth and creamy consistency. The process also enables Juisi to use the entirety of the ingredients for a zero-waste formulation, Savino said.
The nut milks contain 150-200 calories and 14-18 grams of sugar per bottle, depending on variety. The almond, cashew and pecan milks retail for $4.99, while the pistachio milks are priced at $7.99.
NÜMOO launched in Whole Foods’ Mid-Atlantic region in January. Savino said that the four pistachio milks were developed with input from executives in Whole Foods’ Northeast division and will be sold exclusively at the retailer on a permanent basis. Juisi, which will be sampling its entire line at the upcoming Natural Products Expo West 2016, is hoping to add NÜMOO to Whole Foods locations in New England, New York and New Jersey this summer.
Savino said that NÜMOO will be positioned as a brand that “transcends the dairy-free lifestyle” and is made for consumers who grew up on flavored milk, but now seek products that are healthy and made with clean ingredients. It’s also the approach that the company takes for NÜMOO’s coffee-flavored offerings, which will expand to include a new almond mocha product and a cashew latte.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “That’s where we take inspiration from in all of our flavor profiles.”