Elmhurst 1925, the Elma, N.Y.-based plant-based dairy brand, has secured a nationwide listing at Sprouts Farmers Market for its new Clean Protein ready-to-drink beverage line, the company said Monday. The rollout marks the first national retail placement for the product, which the brand describes as its highest-protein offering to date.
Each Clean Protein serving delivers 27 grams of plant-based protein at 190 calories, with sugar content as low as 3 grams per bottle and no artificial ingredients, colorings, or preservatives. The nutritional profile positions the line squarely against a crowded field of conventional whey-based RTD protein beverages that have dominated gym-bag refrigerators for decades — but increasingly face competition from cleaner-label alternatives as consumer preferences shift.
The plant-based protein beverage category has drawn sustained retail interest as specialty grocers look to differentiate their refrigerated sets. Sprouts Farmers Market, which operates more than 400 stores across 23 states, has prioritized better-for-you and minimally processed products as a core merchandising pillar. Securing a brand's national launch — rather than a regional or test-market rollout — underscores the retailer's appetite for premium, attribute-forward nutrition products. Analysts tracking the natural and organic channel have noted that RTD protein is among the fastest-growing sub-segments in refrigerated beverages, with plant-based variants capturing an expanding share of that growth. For more on retail distribution trends in the better-for-you segment, see our coverage of emerging plant-based brands winning shelf space and how specialty grocers are reshaping the RTD beverage set.
Elmhurst 1925 built its current identity after a 2017 pivot away from conventional dairy — the company operated as a dairy processor for nearly a century before converting its Elma facility entirely to plant-based production. The brand, whose portfolio spans oat, nut, and grain-based milks, has previously earned recognition in the natural products trade for its HydroRelease milling process, which it credits for the texture and protein retention in its products. The Clean Protein line extends that positioning into the functional nutrition segment, a market estimated by industry trackers at several billion dollars annually in the United States alone.
No pricing, revenue projections, or distribution volume figures were disclosed in the announcement. The company did not indicate whether additional national retail partners are planned for the Clean Protein line beyond the Sprouts launch. Food & Beverage Magazine previously highlighted Elmhurst 1925 among independent plant-based brands scaling through specialty retail rather than mass-market channels.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
