USA &#8211, Coca-Cola, the world’s largest soft drink company, is planning to enter the dairy industry with a range of milk-based drinks aimed at the under 12s.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Atlanta-based company has launched an initiative called ‘Project Mother’ which will see trials of five milk-based products carried out in markets with high milk consumption, such as Europe, Latin America and the USA.

A Coca-Cola spokesman told connectingdairy news: “The company made a strategic decision last year to widen its scope beyond carbonated and non carbonated drinks. We are in the early stages of an R&D programme which involves four to five dairy-based and dairy and juice mixes being tested. However, the outcome may be that none of the products even make it into the commercial workplace.”

Coca-Cola, best known for its carbonated beverages, also markets a number of non-carbonated drinks including Minute Maid and Fruitopia juices, Powerade sports drinks and Dasani water. This will be the first time the company has tapped into the dairy sector.