While dairy alternative drinks accounted for a relatively limited share of total dairy launches in the 12 months to the end of October 2012, the market has seen considerable recent development.

This is being fuelled by the West, wher such drinks are moving out of the specialist heath food arena and into the mainstream, says market research firm Innova Market Insights.

Soy milks traditionally dominate the sector and still featured in 78 per ceny of dairy alternative drinks launches, either as a main or secondary ingredient. But there has been rising interest in the use of other plant-based alternatives, including cereals, such as rice, oats and barley, and nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, says Innova.

Rice was the second most popular ingredient after soy, featuring in 17 per cent of introductions, ahead of oats at 11 per cent and almonds at 10 per cent.

"While non-dairy milk alternatives are still a relatively small market overall outside Asia, purchase levels are rising rapidly in some countries. This reflects the growing awareness of allergy and intolerance issues, and the low fat, low calorie and cholesterol-free positioning of many of the products," says Lu Ann Williams, head of research at Innova Market Insights "Within the overall dairy alternative drinks sector, soy is facing some problems with regard to health scares and the result, in many instances, has been a move to other, non-soy plant-based alternatives. This trend seems set to continue with an increasing variety of products being made available."