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Oatly plans to launch functional oat milks in North America in January, including a low-calorie, no-sugar option for shakes and a low-sugar barista version. The company is positioning fiber as a way to reach nutrition-focused consumers and support a turnaround, but the products’ sales impact and the timing of any profitability gains remain unclear.
Oatly plans to launch a range of fiber-focused oat milks in North America in January, giving the Swedish company a new way to compete for health-conscious consumers as it seeks to strengthen its plant-based business. The products, already available in Europe, include options designed for protein shakes and coffee drinks; Oatly is positioning them as functional beverages, not just dairy alternatives.
The line includes a low-calorie, no-sugar oat milk intended for use in protein shakes and a low-sugar barista version for coffee and similar drinks. Food Dive reported that a serving of about 250 milliliters—roughly the amount in an oat latte—contains around 5 to 6 grams of fiber. The report did not specify whether that figure applies to every product in the range.
Oatly Chief Operating Officer Daniel Ordonez described the launch as an extension of the company’s existing focus on oats. Speaking on an earnings call the week before the report, he said the range was “not simply innovation” but “a natural evolution of who we are.” He also pointed to more than 30 years of oat research as the basis for the company’s credibility in fiber products.
The launch is part of Oatly’s effort to find growth as it works to improve profitability. Food Dive reported that the company’s revenue rose 9.1% in the third quarter compared with the same period a year earlier. It also said Oatly recorded its first year of profitable growth in 2025, supported by strength in Europe. Those results do not establish whether the new North American products will generate comparable growth.
Fiber Could Broaden Oatly’s Appeal
The strategy gives Oatly a pitch that reaches beyond choosing plant-based milk instead of dairy. The company is tying oat beverages to fiber intake, nutrition and everyday uses, such as adding them to a shake or coffee. That could help it stand out in a category where the broader market has faced pressure.
The need Oatly is targeting is supported by dietary data cited in the report: the USDA estimates that more than 90% of women and 97% of men in the United States do not meet federal fiber recommendations. An International Food Information Council survey also found that nearly all participants said they wanted or needed to increase their fiber intake. These figures suggest a potential audience, but they do not show that consumers will buy Oatly’s products or that a fiber message alone will change the company’s financial performance.
Food Dive also linked the product push to growing interest in functional ingredients among health-conscious consumers and people using GLP-1 medicines. The report provides no sales forecast or evidence that GLP-1 users will be a defined customer group for this range. The business question is whether the products can turn broad interest in fiber into repeat purchases and stronger North American results.
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A New Pitch as Milk Sales Shift
Oatly’s product expansion comes as plant-based milk faces a more difficult market. Citing the Good Food Institute, Food Dive reported that plant-based milk dollar sales fell 2% in 2025, while sales of traditional milk rose 2%. The source describes the plant-based milk category as worth $2.7 billion. These category-wide figures are not specific to Oatly, but they show the backdrop for its effort to give consumers another reason to choose oat milk.
Oatly has faced profitability challenges and sold a majority of its U.S. manufacturing assets, according to Food Dive. Its first year of profitable growth in 2025 and reported third-quarter revenue increase provide signs of improvement, but the company is still seeking ways to build on them. The fiber launch therefore serves two related aims: repositioning the product around nutrition and seeking growth in North America, a market the report describes as challenged.
Ordonez said Oatly was moving away from a “binary dairy versus plant-based debate,” presenting oat milk as a choice based on flavor, texture and nutrition. That framing reflects the company’s stated marketing approach; the available material does not show how consumers will respond once the new range reaches North American shelves.
““The fiber range is not simply innovation, it’s a natural evolution of who we are.””
— Daniel Ordonez, Oatly’s chief operating officer, during an earnings call
Sales Impact Has Yet to Be Shown
Oatly has announced a planned January North American launch, but the report does not give a precise release date, retail partners, pricing, distribution coverage or a product-by-product nutrition breakdown. It also does not say whether the products will be manufactured locally or imported.
The company has not provided a sales target or quantified how much the fiber range is expected to contribute to revenue or profitability. The reported 5-to-6-gram fiber figure refers to an approximate serving and is not identified as applying to every item. It is also unclear how consumers will respond to the products’ taste, price and intended uses, or whether demand among people using GLP-1 medicines will be material.
January Launch Will Test Demand
The next stated milestone is the planned North American launch in January. Retail availability, final product details and pricing will help show how broadly Oatly is distributing the range and how it is positioning the drinks against existing oat milks and other functional beverages.
Subsequent company results may indicate whether the launch is contributing to growth, but Oatly has not published a timetable for reporting product-specific sales. Until such figures are available, the turnaround case rests on the company’s stated strategy, the products’ planned rollout and broader category data—not demonstrated results from the new range.
Key Questions
When will Oatly’s fiber-focused drinks launch in North America?
Oatly plans a North American launch in January. The report does not give a specific date or list retailers.
What products are included in the range?
The range includes a low-calorie, no-sugar option for protein shakes and a low-sugar barista version for coffee and similar drinks.
How much fiber is in a serving?
Food Dive reported that an approximate 250-milliliter serving contains around 5 to 6 grams of fiber. The report does not clarify whether this amount applies to every product.
Why is Oatly focusing on fiber?
The company says it sees fiber as a way to position oat milk as a functional beverage and appeal to consumers interested in nutrition. The report cites USDA data showing that more than 90% of women and 97% of men do not meet U.S. fiber recommendations.
Will the launch turn around Oatly’s North American business?
That is not yet known. Oatly’s COO said the products could be a turning point, but the company has not provided product-specific sales targets or results for the new range.
Source: fooddive.com
