Silk (brand)

Silk
Company type	Brand
Industry	Food processing
Predecessor	WhiteWave Foods
Founded	1977 in Boulder, Colorado, United States
Founder	Steve Demos
Headquarters	Boulder, United States
Area served	Global
Products	Soy milk, soy yogurt, almond milk, almond yogurt, cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk
Owner	Danone
Parent	DanoneWave (subsidiary of Danone)

Silk represents a U.S.-based brand specializing in dairy alternatives such as soy milk, soy yogurt, almond milk, almond yogurt, cashew milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. It is currently under the ownership of Danone, following their 2016 acquisition of WhiteWave Foods.

History

Established in 1977 in Boulder, Colorado by Steve Demos, WhiteWave Foods initially concentrated on soy and tofu items. The debut of the Silk product line occurred in March 1996 during the Natural Foods Expo held in Anaheim, California. Over the years, Silk evolved into a prominent global brand within the organic food sector.

In 2002, Dean Foods acquired WhiteWave for more than $300 million. By 2005, annual revenues had climbed to $350 million. By 2009, Silk was recognized as North America's leading buyer of organic, non-GMO soybeans, sourcing exclusively from within the continent.

The brand diversified its offerings in January 2010 by launching Silk Pure Almond, marking its entry into almond milk products. In 2013, WhiteWave separated from Dean Foods to become an independent publicly traded company.

Silk has earned several Green Power Leadership Awards from both the U.S. Department of Energy and EPA in recognition of its sustainability initiatives. Since 2002, it has also been a supporter of Farm Aid. Additionally, Silk participates as a member of the Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA), advocating for soy's health advantages.

In July 2016, multinational corporation Danone declared its intention to acquire WhiteWave Foods for $10.4 billion, finalizing the deal in April 2017 and establishing the new entity known as "DanoneWave."

Lawsuit

In 2009, the Cornucopia Institute lodged complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging that Dean Foods and its WhiteWave division transitioned Silk products from organic to conventional soybeans without adequately informing retailers or consumers. It was claimed that packaging labels replaced "organic" with "natural" while maintaining identical UPC codes and pricing.

Silk responded by emphasizing that it sources only soybeans grown domestically within the United States and that all its products participate in the Non-GMO Project’s certification process.

Products

Refrigerated soy milk varieties include: Vanilla, Original, Chocolate, Very Vanilla, DHA Omega-3, Organic Vanilla, and Unsweetened options
Light soy milk flavors: Original, Vanilla, Chocolate
Shelf-stable soy milk selections: Original Aseptic, Vanilla Aseptic, Organic Unsweetened Aseptic, Starbucks Vanilla Aseptic (exclusively for Starbucks outlets)
Single-serve shelf-stable soy milk: Very Vanilla and Chocolate
Specialty seasonal soy milk offerings: Pumpkin Spice, Nog, Chocolate Mint
Dairy-free yogurt alternatives encompass: Peach Almond, Strawberry Almond, Vanilla Almond, Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond, Plain Almond; Soy-based choices include Peach & Mango, Blueberry, Strawberry, Vanilla, Tropical Pineapple, Plain
Creamer options feature: Vanilla Soy, Original Soy, Hazelnut Soy; Vanilla Almond, Caramel Almond, Hazelnut Almond
Almond milk varieties: Vanilla, Original, Organic Original, Dark Chocolate, Unsweetened; Light Vanilla and Light Original
Cashew milk types: Original; Unsweetened (plain and vanilla); Chocolate
Coconut milk flavors: Vanilla, Original, Unsweetened
Almond+Coconut blends offered as: Original Blend and Unsweetened Blend
Protein nut milks available with 2g sugar in Vanilla and Chocolate
Oat Yeah! OatMilk lineup includes Plain One, Vanilla, Zero Sugar, and Oatmeal Cookie Creamer

External links

History

Lawsuit

Products

See also

External links