Fairlife

fairlife, stylized as fa!rlife, is an American brand of ultra-filtered milk distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. In the United States, the milk comes in five varieties: reduced fat, chocolate, strawberry, fat-free, and whole milk.

History

In 2012, fairlife, LLC was formed when Select Milk Producers entered into a partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.[1] The brand first appeared in Minnesota, where it launched in February 2014.[2]

Later, in February 2015, The Coca-Cola Company officially launched fairlife, and began to distribute the milk across the United States.[3][4] fairlife is marketed as an ultra-filtered milk, as well as "a dairy option that is sourced from sustainable family farms."[5]

Manufacturing and filtration process

fairlife's first U.S. production facility opened in 2013 in Coopersville, Michigan.[6] In 2021, the company opened a production facility in Goodyear, Arizona.[7] The Coca-Cola Company announced in 2024 that it was building a fairlife production facility in the Town of Webster, New York.[8] In Canada, fairlife owns a dairy facility in Peterborough, Ontario.[9]

Anders Porter of fairlife's Coopersville, Michigan, facility stated, "we separate the cream, filter, heat treat, homogenize, test and bottle the milk." According to Sue McCloskey, who developed the system used to make fairlife with her husband Mike McCloskey, the ultrafiltration process removes the lactose and much of the sugar and leaves behind more of the protein and calcium.[10] fairlife is labeled as ultra-filtered milk.[11]

Product range and variants

All fairlife products are gluten-free and lactose-free and are made without artificial growth hormones (rBST). While they avoid rBST, fairlife notes that the FDA has found no significant difference in milk from treated versus untreated cows.[12] fairlife’s product range includes:

• fairlife ultra-filtered milk
• Core Power protein shakes
• fairlife Nutrition Plan nutrition shakes

Distribution and pricing

The fairlife line of milk is owned by The Coca-Cola Company.[20]

In regard to Coca-Cola's strategy for fairlife, the company's North America President Sandy Douglas stated, "Our vision for the nutrition beverage business and the milk product that I showed you which is made on a sustainable dairy with fully sustainable high-care processes with animals, has a proprietary milk filtering process that allows you to increase protein by 50 percent, take sugar down by 30 percent, and have no lactose, and a milk that's premiumised and taste better and we'll charge twice as much for it as the milk we're used to buying in a jug."[20] The cost of fairlife is indeed, roughly twice as high as conventional milk; fairlife's national average price in the US is $4.29 per 52 oz., compared to the national average pricing of conventional milk at $2 per 64 oz.[3]

Reception

Following its widespread launch in February 2015, Khushbu Shah of Eater.com wrote that overall reviews of the milk were mixed, although the chocolate variety, in particular, was generally well received.[21]

Dietitians and nutritionists were generally critical of the milk; Alissa Rumsey, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics expressed, "When you really look at the numbers, it can sound appealing, but in general most Americans are already getting enough protein," adding, "If you need more, eat an egg or a handful of almonds. And people who need more calcium should up their intake of dark leafy greens, not the so-called Frankenmilk."[4] Registered dietitian Keri Gans claimed, "milk is already a great package of nutrients; I’m not quite sure why it needs to be changed," and commented on the removal of sugar in fairlife milk with, "I never looked at the sugar in milk as a problem."[4] Meredith Engel of New York Daily News speculated that, "it’s clear why Coke is trying to get into the milk business: More and more Americans are turning away from sugary soft drinks, and soda sales fell to a 19-year-low in 2013."[4] Men's Health nutrition advisor Mike Roussell, however advised his clients to switch over to fairlife's milk.[22]

Hayley Peterson of Business Insider wrote, "The chocolate milk was the crowd favorite. It's very sweet, but not overpowering, and the consistency is creamier and thicker than regular milk."[10] Peterson adds that, "most people agreed that the 2% milk tasted similar to whole milk. Many reviewers loved the milky taste, while others thought it was too overpowering."[10] Sam Rega, a Business Insider video producer commented, "Both skim and 2% had an after-taste, but otherwise I couldn't tell much of a difference from this and regular milk."[10]

While Chris Plante of The Verge commented, "to my surprise, Fairlife tastes, well, like milk. It looks and feels a little thicker than traditional milk, and has a slightly richer taste, especially the chocolate milk, which sits on the spectrum between chocolate shake and milk that's stewed on a lazy Saturday morning in a bowl of Cocoa Puffs," he criticized the aftertaste, stating, "Fairlife's aftertaste is less appealing. A few minutes sipping a cup of chocolate Fairlife and then a cup of 2% Fairlife, the inside of my mouth had that malty feel that chases a protein shake."[23] Rachel Sanders of BuzzFeed observed, "Fairlife is a little bit creepy to drink. The texture is much more viscous and thick than regular milk, and the odor is really strong, to the point that it smells almost spoiled. It tastes OK, but has a slightly musky flavor that reminds me of shelf-stable or reconstituted milk."[3]

In 2024, Food and Wine described fairlife as "making real dairy cool again," with the publication's Merlyn Miller noting the milk's taste and utility for consumers seeking additional protein or lactose-free options.[24]

Registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, writing for Eat This, Not That in 2024, highlighted fairlife protein shakes as "an excellent source of protein" for muscle building and maintenance, noting that the ultra-filtered milk process yields higher protein concentration than regular milk. She also observed that the inclusion of lactase enzyme makes the products accessible to lactose-intolerant consumers.[25]

fairlife products have performed well in comparative taste evaluations. In 2023, Sporked rated the chocolate milk 9.5 out of 10, describing it as "extremely good" with balanced sweetness and creaminess.[26] Bon Appétit called fairlife shakes "the most delicious of the bunch" in a protein shake comparison.[27] EatingWell named Core Power the best-tasting protein shake at Costco, praising its smooth texture as free of the chalkiness common to protein products.[28]

Market presence and expansion

In 2022, fairlife surpassed $1 billion in annual retail sales and became the top-selling brand in the dairy category on Instacart. Food Navigator described the company as "a value-added success story in a category that has been in steady decline for years," noting that the ultra-filtered milk pioneer had reached a quarter of U.S. households.[17]

During Coca-Cola's 2024 year-end earnings call, CEO James Quincey noted that fairlife's retail value had grown from $10 million in 2014 to nearly $4 billion in 2024.[29] That same year, Dairy Foods ranked fairlife as the 17th-largest U.S. dairy processor by total sales.[30] This growth coincided with a broader resurgence in milk consumption; whole milk sales rose 3.2% in 2024. The New York Times attributed the shift to changing consumer priorities around hydration, protein, and healthy fats.[31] Axios reported that sales of lactose-free and lactose-reduced dairy milk grew approximately 14% year over year, driving dairy's overall recovery.[32]

Newsweek named fairlife the most trusted high-protein milk brand in the United States in both 2025 and 2026 as part of its annual Most Trusted Awards, which are based on a survey of more than 29,000 American shoppers.[33][34]

fairlife products are available at major U.S. and Canadian grocery stores and retailers including Amazon, Costco, Dollar General, Sam's Club, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart, as well as through delivery services such as Instacart and DoorDash. Core Power multipacks are also sold directly through the company's website.

Controversies

External links