Fast Break is a CPGSPN spinoff where I transition from cold emails and power rankings to my opinions on the CPG stories that matter most to me.
Today’s alley-oop: dairy.
Over the last seven years, milk has been dragged into the culture wars by media headlines more eager to drive clicks than help consumers.
In 2018, The Conversation claimed that the alt-right uses milk to promote white supremacy.
In 2024, POLITICO labeled raw milk a “conservative signal.”
But this year, Business Insider declared, “Dairy is so back,” while Bon Appétit credited protein panic for making whole milk cool again.
➡️ So what changed? I’m not so sure anything did.
Milk is food. Not a political statement.
Yet it’s been treated like one.
Over the last decade, milk has been framed as everything from a symbol of extremism to a political identity marker to a cultural comeback story. The media can’t seem to decide whether dairy is a menace, a message, or a trend.
I fundamentally disagree with politicizing food.
➡️ When politics overshadow the core function of our food, which is to safely and accessibly nourish us, something has gone terribly wrong.
People who took to social media to share the benefits of dairy were labeled as “bros,” “right-wing extremists,” or “MAGAs,” all while sharing genuinely practical information about how to eat better.
I get it. Some of these influencers deserve scrutiny, particularly when their criticism of brands and ingredients becomes veiled self-promotion.
But that is not the point of this article.
The point is that we should all be on the same team. Instead of tying political affiliations to people trying to live longer, help their families live longer, or help others live longer, we should hold the media accountable for politicizing foods that have been around for centuries.
➡️ Milk has been part of the human diet for over 10,000 years.
In the 2010s, consumers experimented. Some switched to nut milks. Others moved to soy, which is where the whole “soy boy versus right-wing bro” narrative took off.
Innovation slowed outside of a handful of brands, like Siggi’s (2004), Chobani (2005), Icelandic Provisions (2014), Good Culture (2015), and Too Good (formerly Two Good, 2019), that continued moving the category forward.
More recently, brands like ViCera Nutrition, Painterland Sisters, Alec’s Ice Cream, Laurel’s, Sourmilk, and Jubilee’s have taken the lead. That does not make them political extremists. It makes them innovators and stewards of our food supply.
➡️ These are leaders building something better and healthier, not just for you and me, but for the next generation too.
It’s frustrating to see articles claiming dairy is “cool again” when it hasn’t really changed at all.
Yes, some people are lactose intolerant. Brands that have introduced A2 will more than likely win their hearts (and tummies) in the long run.
And yes, dairy does have more options and broader appeal these days.
But it is no cooler than it was five years ago.
Friendlier to your gut? Yes.
Reborn? No.
➡️ Calling this a comeback ignores what actually happened. Just ask LL Cool J.
Food should serve consumers first.
When food becomes political, consumers ultimately pay the price through confusion and mistrust. Dairy never needed redemption. Consumers never asked for it. The industry survived the noise the same way it always has, by being essential.
This was never about dairy being a political signal.
It was never about dairy being cool again.
It was about reality reasserting itself. And about great brands acting as stewards of that truth by building for consumers, not headlines.
⬇️ Continue below for the Product of the Week and Tip of the Week
Trader Joe’s is launching its own prebiotic soda in two flavors, Cherry Cola and Strawberry Vanilla. This screams private label. The most important question: if that’s true, who is manufacturing it for them, and how closely does the formula mirror an existing brand?
Why: Private label at this scale usually requires an experienced operator with existing infrastructure.
Could an existing brand have offered up a modified formula? Or is Trader Joe’s managing this brand in-house? Let’s take a look at these two flavors and what we can infer from the clues on the front of pack (FOP).
Natural Flavors: The biggest tell when a brand uses natural flavors is the following:
Flavor Name only: If using Natural Flavors, they’re likely organic, or at least derived from the source indicated in the name. Created in a lab, maybe. But not synthetic.
Flavor Name Flavored: Likely derived from the source indicated in the name. Likely created in a lab. But at least derived from something that existed on Earth to begin with.
Flavor Name Flavored with Other Natural Flavors: Likely some synthetic components are involved, often derived from inputs not directly associated with the flavor name. This is usually the variation that influencers demonize without realizing there are levels to natural flavors.
➡️ A brand needs scale to private label for TJ’s. You don’t go to TJ’s to do this. They come to you. So, IF a brand is manufacturing this product for TJ’s, who could it be? A minor tweak to the formula can be a significant deviation from a brand’s ethos. Do we think this is Joe’s own formula? Or is a brand making it for them? We’ll take a deep dive into the formula and do a taste test in the coming weeks.
In ‘The Case for CPG and VC in 2026’ written by Alexa Binns, Jackie Fast of Sandbox Studios shares her thoughts on celebrity-backed brands when she states:
“The future of consumer isn’t ‘better-for-you,’ it’s built-by-someone-you-already-care-about — and that’s exactly where Sandbox Studio Wins.”
That sounds great. And the numbers might speak to it. But this thesis is a double-edged sword.
When brands are built primarily on borrowed trust, the downside risk is real. We’ve seen what happens when a brand becomes inseparable from a public figure and that figure collapses, overreaches, or loses credibility.
Remember him?
Or what about when a founder virtue signals from the floor seats while their customers just want to enjoy the game from the nosebleeds?
Ben Stiller@BenStiller
Somalis are not garbage. Immigrants and refugees from anywhere are people like you and me. They should not be demonized. This country is built on the backs of people who have come from other places. It’s what our country is all about. 💙
12:19 AM · Dec 3, 2025 · 17.9M Views
19.9K Replies · 6.59K Reposts · 78.1K Likes
Celebrity can accelerate awareness. But it can’t replace accountability.
➡️ The future of consumer isn’t fame. The future is founders who have skin in the game and a product that solves a problem, tastes good, or both.
CPGSPN is free to you because my marketing agency, Growthbuster, funds my time.
And companies like Fast Track Packaging fund this newsletter. I’ve used FTP for Perfy’s sleeves, cans, and ends since launch, and they have been a trusted partner and friend.
MORE ABOUT FAST TRACK PACKAGING:
Fast Track Packaging was founded in 2015 with humble beginnings and has quickly grown to be the North American leader in can decoration.
FTP prides itself on providing customers with the highest-quality products, the most competitive pricing, the best lead time, and, most of all, a sense of community in their partnerships, both internally and externally.
Building Perfy: a low sugar soda that doesn’t spike blood sugar, with a mission to eradicate cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup from the food supply.
I’ve also been running Growthbuster since 2017, a CPG and local marketing agency focused on food & beverage for humans and pets. We’ve worked with brands like Magic Spoon, Lemon Perfect, Outer Aisle, and more. We handle organic social, email, SMS, as well as branding and consulting projects.
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