Why is everyone out of fairlife milk? Exploring supply, demand, and controversy

November 24, 2025 •

4 min read

Fairlife's ultra-filtered milk, a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, has seen its retail sales surpass $1 billion, but this meteoric rise has outpaced its production capabilities. This imbalance is the primary reason why is everyone out of fairlife milk, though multiple other factors, including ongoing controversies, contribute to the widespread scarcity on store shelves.

Quick Summary

The scarcity of Fairlife milk is caused by explosive demand for its high-protein, lactose-free product, which has strained production and supply chains. Furthermore, recent and past animal cruelty allegations against its dairy suppliers have led to legal actions and retailer pullbacks, adding complexity to its distribution.

Key Points

Skyrocketing Demand: Fairlife’s rapid popularity, fueled by its unique nutritional content and social media trends, has overwhelmed its production capacity.
Production Limitations: The specialized ultra-filtration process and infrastructure have struggled to scale quickly enough to meet the unprecedented consumer demand.
Animal Cruelty Scandals: Repeated allegations of animal abuse at supplier farms, notably in 2019 and 2025, have led to lawsuits, boycotts, and temporary sourcing disruptions.
Supply Chain Disruptions: Some regional retailers have discontinued Fairlife due to persistent supply inconsistencies and logistical challenges.
Quality Control Issues: The brand has faced several voluntary recalls and market withdrawals over the years due to specific product quality problems.
Ethical Consumerism: For some retailers and consumers, the repeated animal welfare controversies have led to a permanent withdrawal of support for the brand.

Fairlife's Explosive Popularity and Unprecedented Demand

Over the last decade, the Fairlife brand has experienced remarkable growth, defying the trend of declining traditional milk consumption. Its ultra-filtered milk, with its distinct nutritional profile of higher protein, more calcium, and less sugar than conventional milk, has resonated deeply with health-conscious consumers. The product's lactose-free nature also significantly broadens its market appeal.

This growth has not been organic alone; it has been supercharged by social media trends. For instance, the "protein diet coke" trend on platforms like TikTok drove up demand for Fairlife's vanilla protein shakes, further accelerating sales. Coca-Cola's robust marketing and distribution network have also propelled Fairlife into a dominant market position, reaching a third of all US households by early 2025. However, this unprecedented consumer appetite for a premium dairy product has created a massive chasm between supply and demand.

Lagging Production Capacity and Supply Chain Challenges

While demand has soared, Fairlife's production infrastructure has struggled to keep up. Coca-Cola has invested heavily in expansion, including a $650 million facility in New York set to become a flagship site, but these are long-term solutions that cannot meet immediate market needs. The gap in production is a critical component of the scarcity.

Challenges Impacting Supply

Scaling Infrastructure: The ultra-filtration process that defines Fairlife is a specialized operation. Scaling this process to meet a billion-dollar brand's demand requires massive investment and time, leading to inherent delays.
Regional Supply Chain Issues: In early 2025, retailers in certain regions, like some Canadian provinces, cited supply chain inefficiencies and distribution hurdles (specifically DSD) as reasons for discontinuing Fairlife products, even when demand was high.
Broader Dairy Market Strains: The wider dairy industry faces its own problems, such as labor shortages and a scarcity of dairy replacement heifers, which can impact the stability and price of raw milk supply.

The Lingering Shadow of Animal Cruelty Allegations

Beyond production, recurring and serious animal cruelty allegations have significantly complicated Fairlife's supply chain and consumer trust. These controversies lead to boycotts and retailer actions, which temporarily disrupt availability and put pressure on the brand to adjust its sourcing.

2019 Scandal: Undercover footage from Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) revealed severe animal abuse at a major supplier farm, leading to immediate boycotts and grocers pulling the product. The fallout prompted Fairlife to sever ties with the farm and resulted in a $21 million class-action settlement in 2022.
2025 Allegations: In early 2025, ARM released new evidence alleging ongoing animal cruelty and environmental pollution at two key Arizona dairy suppliers. A class-action lawsuit filed in June 2025 alleged that Fairlife continued to source milk from these farms under the cover of night, despite public statements to the contrary.

Quality Control and Market Withdrawals

While not the primary cause of the widespread shortage, smaller-scale quality control issues have led to localized and product-specific availability problems. These incidents highlight the potential for production inconsistencies as the brand scales.

A History of Quality Control Incidents

2021 Chocolate Milk Recall: Specific lots of Fairlife chocolate milk were recalled due to potential spoilage.
2024 Reduced-Fat Recall: A limited number of 2% reduced-fat milk cartons were recalled due to potential curdling and separation.
2024 Market Withdrawal: A voluntary market withdrawal occurred for a lot of fat-free milk that carried an unintended vanilla flavor.

Fairlife vs. The Competition: A Comparison Table


Feature	Fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk	Conventional Cow's Milk	Oat Milk
Protein	13g per cup (approx.)	8g per cup	3-4g per cup
Sugar	~6g per cup	~12g per cup	~4-7g per cup
Lactose	Lactose-free	Contains lactose	Lactose-free
Calcium	40% more than regular milk	Standard amount	Often fortified
Key Benefit	Higher protein, lower sugar	Classic taste, low cost	Plant-based alternative
Price	Premium	Standard	Premium

Conclusion

The widespread absence of Fairlife milk on store shelves is a result of a perfect storm of factors. The brand's explosive popularity, driven by its unique nutritional profile and effective marketing, has far outstripped its production capabilities. While Coca-Cola is investing heavily to bridge this gap, the scaling process is slow. Simultaneously, repeated allegations of animal cruelty at supplier farms, followed by lawsuits and consumer backlash, have created significant supply chain disruptions and damaged consumer trust. These issues, combined with minor quality control incidents, have contributed to a volatile supply situation. While some retailers or regions may experience permanent discontinuation due to supply or ethical concerns, the main challenge remains matching record-breaking demand with sustainable and ethical production. As the brand continues to expand, it will need to navigate these complex challenges to ensure consistent availability for its dedicated customer base. See also: The Future of Dairy: How the Premium Milk Market is Reshaping the Industry

Frequently Asked Questions

As of late 2025, there is no major widespread recall of all Fairlife products. However, the brand has initiated small, voluntary recalls and market withdrawals for specific lot codes due to quality issues in the past.

Some retailers have ceased carrying Fairlife due to persistent supply challenges or as a response to the recurring animal cruelty allegations. Some Canadian retailers, for instance, cited an inability to keep up with demand via their distribution methods.

Following allegations and lawsuits, Fairlife has officially severed ties with implicated farms. However, a June 2025 lawsuit alleged that the company continued to source milk from farms with abuse allegations via late-night deliveries, an accusation Fairlife has not publicly addressed.

High consumer demand is a major factor, with Fairlife's popularity outstripping its production capacity. However, supply chain disruptions and the impact of animal cruelty scandals on sourcing and retailer relationships also contribute significantly to the overall scarcity.

While the controversies have led to boycotts and temporary dips in availability, they have not been enough to halt Fairlife's overall sales growth. The brand has remained highly successful, a testament to its market dominance despite public relations challenges.

There is no definitive timeline. Coca-Cola is investing hundreds of millions to expand production capacity, which should help in the long run. However, the brand still has to manage both high demand and the fallout from recurring supplier controversies, making future supply less certain.

Fairlife is ultra-filtered to remove lactose and some water, resulting in a product with 50% more protein, 30% more calcium, and half the sugar of regular milk. This filtration process creates its unique nutritional profile.