Coke’s new milk isn’t just plain old white stuff, though. Called Fairlife, the new drink is marketed as “premium” (优质的，高端的) milk with 50 percent more protein, 30 percent more calcium, half the sugar of typical milk — and a higher price tag.
So far, Fairlife is only sold in test markets. The soda giant plans to launch it nationally in the U．S. in March 2015, according to a statement from a CocaCola spokeswoman. The enhanced milk is a joint venture (企业) between Coke and Select Milk Producers dairy coop, a collective of large dairy producers.
The dairy industry needs this to work. American milk consumption is declining, along with soft drink sales, as Americans increasingly swap cereal and milk for breakfast bars and fast food breakfast sandwiches. Retail sales of milk dropped 3 percent in 2014 after falling 2 percent the year before, according to data from Euromonitor. Competition from nondairy milk alternatives, protein drinks and readytodrink teas may make it difficult for the milk industry to reverse the trend.
