Mooala

History

Jeff Richards founded Mooala Brands, LLC on November 30, 2012, in Dallas, Texas. After being diagnosed as lactose intolerant in 2012, Richards began experimenting with dairy-alternative milk recipes. Because of a mild nut allergy, he started with bananas, noting they are free of the top eight allergens. He took the recipe to the University of Minnesota to confirm it could be commercially produced, and together they achieved a rich, creamy flavor using a batching and cooking process that included bananas, sunflower seed butter, cinnamon, and sea salt, resulting in a taste similar to banana nut bread.

Mooala products first appeared at local Royal Blue Grocery stores in Dallas in August 2016, initially offering bananamilk, almond milk, and oat milk. In February 2018, the company raised $5 million in equity capital to support expansion, and Fast Company noted Mooala had the fastest year-over-year sales growth among newcomers to the alt-milk category in 2018. In July 2019, plant-based creamers were launched, and in November the company completed an $8.3 million Series A equity financing.

By then, Mooala was sold in major chains including Whole Foods, Kroger, and Costco. In early 2020, growth accelerated compared to 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic further boosted sales as part of broader plant-based industry growth. In October 2020, non-perishable product versions were introduced, and in December the company launched the beverage industry's first keto vegan milk.

Reception

The original banana milk variant has received generally positive feedback from online reviewers, consumers, and media publications. Sara Cagle of Brit + Co wrote in 2019 that the lightly sweet blend of water and puréed bananas differs from neutral non-dairy predecessors by actually tasting like its main ingredient. Amanda Capritto of CNET described the banana milk as rather yummy if one likes bananas, comparing it taste-wise to sipping a healthified milkshake that is sweet, slightly fruity, and super-creamy. Shape noted that banana milk contains essential nutrients with half the calories and two-thirds the fat of two-percent milk, but also pointed out its lack of protein and fiber.