A dairy drink is a beverage built on a dairy base — anything from a flavoured milk or drinking yoghurt to a fortified milkshake-style product. The category has stretched in recent years to include lactose-free milks, where the milk sugar is pre-digested with lactase for intolerant drinkers, and soya-based drinks positioned as dairy alternatives, though strictly the plant versions sit outside true dairy. What unites the group is the nutritional package of milk: quality protein, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, and vitamins B2 and B12, delivered in a convenient liquid form. The industry develops dairy drinks for specific jobs — school milk, sports recovery, meal-replacement shakes, probiotic shots — adjusting fat content, sweetness, and fortification to the target consumer. Chilled distribution and short shelf lives make the cold chain critical for the whole segment.