Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a new solution to increase the protein content of juice-style oral nutrition supplements (ONS) for medical nutrition.

Most ONS are milky beverages, but recent years have seen juice-style drinks emerge as a fresh-tasting alternative. However, such products remain niche, accounting for just 3.7 % of adult liquid ONS launches over the past five years.* One reason for this might be that the average protein content of ONS juice-style drinks is just 4.2 g per 100 g.

Arla Foods Ingredients has now created a solution that makes it possible to increase the level of protein in ONS juice-style drinks to 7 % without compromising on taste or mouthfeel. The new concept incorporates Lacprodan^® BLG-100, a 100 % pure beta-lactoglobulin with an outstanding nutritional profile. It contains 7 g of protein per 100 g and is high in essential amino acids, including leucine (1.13 g per 100 g).

Juice-style medical drinks made with Lacprodan^® BLG-100 are an excellent source of protein and energy. The new solution is fat-free and the use of BLG-100 enables very low viscosity and stability over shelf life. In addition, it tastes less astringent than typical ONS juice-style products and provides a more pleasant mouthfeel, encouraging compliance in medical nutrition.

*Innova Market Insights

Arla Foods Ingredients is highlighting the potential of its Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear to bring the benefits of protein to juice drinks.

Consumers are increasingly seeking beverages that combine health benefits with great taste and refreshment. At the same time, many are turning away from standard juice drinks because of their perceived high sugar content.

This is helping drive demand for fortified and functional beverages, the global market for which is forecast to grow to USD 125 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.1 %.¹ High-protein and source of protein claims are also growing in the category, with an 8.6 % increase between 2015 and 2020.²

Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear is a whey protein isolate developed for the fortification of functional beverages without cloudiness, graininess or off-taste. Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear has a protein content of 90 %, offers high heat stability and is clear in solution making it suitable for pasteurized or UHT processed juice drinks.

To showcase its potential, Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new protein-enriched juice drink concept. It shows how manufacturers can use Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear to deliver the well known benefits of whey protein isolate in a refreshing, great-tasting juice drink format with no added sugar. It also demonstrates how juice drinks fortified with Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear can be positioned for a variety of markets, for example as:

• A new breakfast standard for health-conscious consumers
• A nourishing, on-the-go vitalizer for kids
• An enjoyable post-workout recovery drink
• A nutritious drink for older consumers, or patients who need extra protein

Mathias Toft Vangsoe, Sales Development Manager, Health and Performance, at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Many consumers are starting to move away from standard juice drinks, but they still want health benefits alongside natural ingredients, great taste and refreshment. This is creating new demand for innovative functional beverages, and protein-enriched juice drinks represent a particularly exciting opportunity in the sector. Products with Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear taste just like juice drinks should, but with the benefit of high-quality, natural whey protein isolate. They’re also very easy to add to existing recipes, making them the ideal way to add new appeal to traditional juice drink ranges.”

Lacprodan^® ISO.Clear works well with a broad range of juice types, in particular clear juice drinks, and can be combined with other health-promoting ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and probiotics.

¹Euromonitor International, 2020
²Innova Database, 2020