Product line 06
Plant-based drinks, almond, soy, coconut and oat
Almond, soy, coconut and oat drinks in ambient carton. Long shelf life, no cold chain, and a better retail margin than conventional UHT.
The line
The category that grew while everyone was watching dairy
Plant-based drinks behave like an ambient grocery product and sell like a premium one, which is an unusually good combination for an importer working at distance.
They ship in ambient carton with a long shelf life, so there is no reefer and no cold chain risk, and the retail margin is typically better than on conventional UHT milk. For a distributor building a modern grocery range, this is the line that does the most work per pallet.
Plant-based drinks are products of plant origin, so they do not carry the veterinary requirement that milk does. That makes them meaningfully simpler to clear than the dairy they sit next to on the shelf.
What is in the line
Four product groups, all ambient carton
Most items are available in more than one format, so the pack weight and case count are confirmed against your order rather than fixed here.
| Product group | Detail | Origin | Storage | Formats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond drink | Original, unsweetened, sugar-free and barista formulations | Spain | Ambient | Carton 1 L, small format |
| Soy drink | Original and unsweetened | Spain | Ambient | Carton 1 L, small format |
| Coconut drink | Original and blends | Spain | Ambient | Carton 1 L |
| Oat drink | Original and barista formulations | Spain | Ambient | Carton 1 L |
These are confirmed per order and per manufacturer, because nearly every item above exists in several formats and the right one depends on whether it is going to a retail shelf or a kitchen. Ask for the specification sheet on any group and we will send the exact pack data before you quote your own customer. Prices are quoted per order, never listed, because they move with volume, Incoterm and destination.
Almond drink across original, sugar-free, calcium and barista formulations.
Product photography supplied by the manufacturers whose brands we carry.
Manufacturers in this line
Producer on this line
Plant-based drinks in the portfolio are produced to European specification for European and export retail.
Which of these we can ship into your market depends on the representation agreement in place there. Tell us your country with your list and we will confirm brand by brand before you quote anything to your own customer.
Documents for this category
Plant origin, and simpler for it
No veterinary certificate. The document set is the lighter one, which is worth knowing if you are comparing this line against dairy on landed cost rather than on unit price.
- Phytosanitary certificate For products of plant origin, issued by the competent Spanish authority for the consignment.
- EUR1 movement certificate Establishes preferential origin where the trade agreement between the EU and your country provides for it, which is usually what makes the duty calculation work.
- Manufacturer certification Food safety certification is held by the producing establishment, not by us. We tell you which manufacturer holds what for the items on your list.
- Allergen declaration Nut and soy content is an allergen declaration in every market we ship to, and the wording is set at production. We confirm it against your market's rules with the order.
It is a distinction your authority will make, so we make it too. VLC TRADE GROUP SL is the exporter of record and prepares the export documentation. IFS, BRC, ISO 22000, HACCP, halal and kosher belong to the manufacturer and to the individual product.
Loading this line
Why it suits long routes
Ambient carton, long shelf life
No reefer, and transit time on the Central Asian routes is not a constraint.
Light for its volume
It fills space before it fills the weight limit, which makes it a good partner for dense heavy goods like canned drinks or glass.
Barista formats sell to a different buyer
The barista variants go to HoReCa and coffee shops rather than retail shelves. If you supply both, they are two different order lines.
Loads with juice and snacks
Same ambient regime. Most of our mixed containers carry all three.
Questions we get
Plant-based drinks, answered
What is the minimum order?
One full container. It does not have to be one product. You can mix this line with any other line we carry into the same container, which is what most of our buyers do.
Do plant-based drinks need a veterinary certificate?
No. They are products of plant origin, so the veterinary requirement that applies to milk and cheese does not apply here. Where the destination requires it for plant products, a phytosanitary certificate is issued instead, and it is a lighter process.
What is the shelf life?
Long, because these are ambient UHT-style cartons. Exact dating is per item and per production run and comes with the specification sheet, and we check it against your transit time before loading.
Do you supply barista formulations?
Yes, in almond and oat. They are a different buyer from retail, usually coffee shops and HoReCa wholesalers, so tell us if you need both and we will quote them separately.
What does it cost?
Price is quoted per order, because it moves with volume, Incoterm and destination. Send your product list and your destination country and we come back with a quote, a loading plan and the document set.
Next step
Send the list and the destination country
That is enough for us to come back with a loading plan, the documents your border will want, and a price against your actual order.