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Pushing the limits of protein enrichment

Globally, protein claims have great consumer appeal. Healthy eating is a priority, and the desire to consume nutritious, everyday products with added functional benefits continues to grow for mainstream consumers.

58% of consumers have increased their uptake of protein over the last two years.¹

New product launches with protein claims have seen a 10% CAGR in the last five years, with this trend more pronounced in markets such as Europe (+26%).²

So how do brands stand out while maintaining important taste and texture attributes? The short answer is to be choiceful with your base ingredients that will mitigate formulation challenges and perform to consumer preference.

For those who are looking for the long answer… keep reading to find out more.

High protein yoghurt continues to grow while overall yoghurt launches slow

Yoghurt is a great everyday source of dairy, with the commonly known benefits of consuming dairy providing a health halo for the category.

Yoghurt’s health benefits coupled with trends in flavour and texture innovation makes it feel more permissible than other treats. A great snacking option in between meals, with breakfast or as a better-for-you dessert option to help consumers increase their protein throughout the day.

The share of high-protein yoghurt in Europe has increased from 13% to 20% over the last five years, largely linked to the declining number of regular yoghurt launches. High protein has now become a prominent category convention, alongside trends such as low sugar, and low fat.³

Brands that promote high protein on-pack, such as Hi-Pro and Nestle Lindahls, have seen increased brand share across Western Europe.⁴ Signalling strong consumer interest in products that position themselves as a good source of protein.

Beyond the traditional dairy benefits, consumers are turning to yoghurt for its functional advantages, seeking gut-friendly options, memory, and immunity-boosting potential.

Fernleaf's Probiotic+ cultured milk drink contains a combination of scientifically researched probiotics including Nutiani HN001TM. The product is advertised as a convenient and affordable way to help replenish good bacteria in the gut.⁵ A great example of how brands can use existing ingredients with well-known health benefits to differentiate themselves.

NZMP™ WPC 515 can help brands achieve up to 50% more protein per serve

The average protein in high protein yoghurt launched globally is 8g per 100g. One-way brands may look to position their products as a more credible protein source is to increase total protein per serve.

Recent trials using NZMP™ WPC 515 have proven that we can reach up to 15% protein^* while maintaining a nice balance of taste and texture.^**

By tweaking the base formulation, we were able to produce two concepts during the trial while maintaining the same total protein content.

Both concepts will be sampled at Food Ingredients Europe 2023. Stop by the Fonterra booth 3.0K45 to give them a try!

Overcoming manufacturing challenges when maximizing protein content

Selecting the appropriate protein ingredients is key when considering desired final product properties and overcoming common manufacturing challenges.

NZMP™ WPC 515 key features include:

• Good dispersibility which supports optimized ingredient mixing.
• Excellent heat stability. Acts as an inert filler in the yoghurt structure, enabling higher protein levels without texture issues.
• Can be blended with MPCs to manipulate the fermentation times.
• Low viscosity which makes it a great choice for spoonable or drinkable yoghurts.

Watch our webinar to learn more about ingredient mixing, heat treatment, fermentation and smoothing when it comes to creating high protein cultured products.

Sources:

1. FMCG Gurus – Proactive Health and Post-Pandemic Environment – May 2022
2. Innova Market Insights – Global Survey 2022
3. Mintel - High-protein yogurt: the trend is still buzzing
4. Mintel - Yogurt and Yogurt Drinks – UK – 2023
5. Mintel GNPD

*All product artworks depicted in this webinar or related advertising are suggestions only. Nutritional claims are subject to the local regulations in your market.

**When paired with other protein sources

^{Article originally posted on NZMP.com.}

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