A date with malibu mylk

All about the first-ever whole flaxseed milk and its eco-friendly benefits 

For the month of March, we sat down with female-owned and founded company malibu mylk. malibu mylk is the first-ever milk made from whole flaxseed! There is absolutely no dairy, soy, gluten or nuts in it. We wanted to learn all about it and how the use of flax is beneficial for our ecosystem. So we interviewed founder, Brittany Fuisz on how she came up with this genius and nutritious idea. 

Brittany grew up in Malibu, CA in a family that nurtured the love of food.  She studied Marketing at Georgetown University where she finally fell in love with everything food and beverage related and started her professional career as her school’s “food critic.” From there, she was mentored by Padma Lakshmi (Executive Producer of Top Chef) and after Padma’s guidance she attended Le Cordon Bleu where the missing piece of cooking led her to create what is now called malibu mylk. 

After years of taste-testing, creating recipes and working in the food industry, the genius whole flaxseed milk idea came together while dealing with some health issues. She wanted to create a milk that she could enjoy without the dairy, soy, nuts and gluten; she named it malibu mylk. In October of 2018, with not much other than samples from her kitchen, she took a meeting with Whole Foods and took samples of her products. Whole Foods immediately fell in love with the samples and ingredients. Just three short months later, malibu mylk launched in Whole Foods in Southern California. 

What was the process like when you started creating the actual product? 
The most challenging part was finding a co-packer. I used a network of others in the industry to find the right co-packer for us. Also, sourcing ingredients was super challenging. I relied on conferences like Expo-West to source ingredients. It’s not as simple as going to the store and picking up a box of sugar. You need to go to the sources, or brokers. You need to make sure each ingredient has all the certifications that you want for your product, i.e. organic, non-GMO etc. 

How is the product good for the environment? 
The flax flower only requires natural rainfall and it’s a self-pollinating plant. Unlike other plant based milks that need a ton of irrigation and are hurting our bee populations, the flax flower gets everything it needs from mother earth without us interfering. 

What were your challenges on the business end?
Besides the co-packing, I would say certifications, paperwork and finding the funding. (Well, finding the right funding). 

What’s important to you when creating new recipes with malibu mylk?
I look for allergen-free, organic, clean ingredients, non-GMO and sustainability.

What was the process like when you started creating the actual product? 
The most challenging part was finding a co-packer. I used a network of others in the industry to find the right co-packer for us. Also, sourcing ingredients was super challenging. I relied on conferences like Expo-West to source ingredients. It’s not as simple as going to the store and picking up a box of sugar. You need to go to the sources, or brokers. You need to make sure each ingredient has all the certifications that you want for your product, i.e. organic, non-GMO etc. 

How is the product good for the environment? 
The flax flower only requires natural rainfall and it’s a self-pollinating plant. Unlike other plant based milks that need a ton of irrigation and are hurting our bee populations, the flax flower gets everything it needs from mother earth without us interfering.

What were your challenges on the business end? 
Besides the co-packing, I would say certifications, paperwork and finding the funding. (Well, finding the right funding). 

What’s important to you when creating new recipes with malibu mylk?
I look for allergen-free, organic, clean ingredients, non-GMO and sustainability.

What made you start using D’vash?
David (your co-founder) introduced it to me. I love that it has less sugar than honey, it’s more sustainable and lasts forever in the cabinet. But I seriously go through a bottle every two weeks. Dates are nature’s sweetener. I use it for everything! Since I’m pregnant, I eat 4-6 dates a day. Studies have proven that eating dates is beneficial after 34 weeks for reducing your time in labor by A LOT! I don’t think any woman wants to spend extra time in labor! 

What recipes do you use with D’vash Date nectars? 
I use it in anything as a substitute for maple syrup or honey. Banana bread, smoothies, cookies etc. My go-to is using the date nectar in Pad Thai with a little of the malibu mylk. It calls for almond butter, malibu mylk, soy sauce, D’vash date nectar, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and rice noodles. Super easy and better than takeout! 

malibu mylk is leading the way for sustainable and dairy-free products. It is eco-friendly, aids in digestion with prebiotics, is allergen-free and has an abundant amount of Omega-3’s. Plus, flax has been used as a staple in the human diet for thousands of years. Her products can be found in Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, the malibu mylk website and many other natural food stores.