Protein

With more U.S. adults taking dietary supplements than ever before, continued consumer confidence in the safety, quality, and efficacy of supplements will remain of utmost importance to those with stakes in the industry.

Here, we look at some of the positive and negative comments.

Plant-based ingredients are transforming the meat-analogue category.

Kerry rolled out new plant protein ingredients at SupplySide West 2019 that are designed to be easier for formulators to work with.

“While whey protein fractions aren’t necessarily a new discovery, the ways in which they’re being used and their known benefits are both expanding,” one expert says.

Sports nutrition products are expanding upon the benefits they deliver, the means by which they deliver them, and the consumers whom they target.

While plant proteins have been trending, dairy proteins and isolates remain competitive within the protein bar space, specifically within sports nutrition.

Flavor is always a challenging piece of the formulation puzzle due to the unpleasant notes that active ingredients can impart.

Also: Is the dairy-alternatives category in danger of jumping the nondairy shark?

What ingredients do active-nutrition consumers want, and which protein sources are they looking for? Also: does price impact consumer buying habits?

Protein company Perfect Day has introduced its first consumer product, a limited-edition ice cream featuring the company’s proprietary, fermentation-derived, animal-free protein.

Much of what is produced at the new, 14,000-sq-meter facility is protein for sustainable animal feed.

In a press release, Peter Sherlock, chief technology officer for Parabel, said, “We are all elated to have achieved this breakthrough innovation. Our lentil milk is similar in color to regular milk and captures the extraordinary, high-quality protein and mineral benefits of water lentils while containing no allergens.

From protein to elderberry, suppliers formulated today’s hottest ingredients into innovative foods and drinks at IFT 2019.

Burcon has introduced new pea and canola protein blends for plant-based dairy and meat alternatives. The firm has also announced a joint venture to open a C$65 million production facility to process 20,000 tons of plant protein per year. 

At IFT 2019, Ingredion and Clara Foods describe how their partnership will help sidestep the production and environmental costs of animal proteins by using fermentation to make protein ingredients.

From overcoming high-protein challenges to delivering lactose-free options, dairy protein suppliers continue to serve the market’s needs.

The company’s solutions address many inherent challenges presented by plant-based proteins, including off notes and bitterness and perceived dryness.

Ingredion (Westchester, IL), has introduced two new pea-based ingredients for pet food to its portfolio as a result of its new joint venture with Verdient Foods announced last December to make pulse-based concentrates and flours.

The sports nutrition market was going strong even before casual competitors started swelling its ranks, but weekend warriors have surely added to the gains.

Probiotics face a new frontier as sports supplements.

Herbs and botanicals, in general, have been making their way into the joint health category, says Innova Market Insights, whose research shows a 25% average annual growth of bone and joint supplements that used botanicals between 2014 and 2018.

Prinova will be conducting demo tours to showcase its ingredients and custom formulations in the form of some of the nutrition industry’s hottest concepts.

Mark Messina, PhD, of Soy Connection/United Soybean Board, writes about misconceptions associated with soy consumption and breast cancer.

Three ingredients that outperformed their previous year’s sales were magnesium, vitamin K, and collagen, according to SPINS.