Arla Foods Ingredients demonstrated how South American brands can use its Lacprodan® and Nutrilac® ProteinBoost whey proteins to create protein-enriched, ready-to-drink juice-style beverages.
The South American functional beverages market is expected to achieve a CAGR of 8.75 % between 2025 and 2030. Health trends are driving consumer demand for drinks with additional wellness benefits as well as great taste.1 This is reflected in the growing popularity of functional beverages with protein and energy claims.1
A new Arla Foods Ingredients survey of 4,000 consumers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia found that great taste, naturalness, and high protein content were their primary considerations when purchasing food.2 When asked which products they would like to contain more protein, 31 % overall – and 40 % in Brazil – cited juices.
At the Softdrinks Tech event in São Paulo, Brazil, Arla Foods Ingredients highlighted how manufacturers can meet these needs using its Lacprodan® and Nutrilac® ProteinBoost solutions. These whey proteins enable the creation of refreshing, protein-enriched juice-style drinks with satiety benefits and great taste. Rich in all the essential amino acids, they deliver up to 6 % (15 g per 250 ml) protein, and allow on-pack protein health and nutrition claims.
Lacprodan® clear whey protein isolates allow beverage, performance, and health brands to develop a clear, refreshing juice-style protein drink without the milky flavour of traditional ready-to-drink beverages. Fat-free and with only four ingredients, Lacprodan® supports clean labels and zero-fat claims. It can be produced using UHT treatment, without homogenisation.
Nutrilac® ProteinBoost whey protein offers pleasant viscosity and creamy mouthfeel, enabling dairies to innovate with refreshing products such as protein smoothies. It also supports low or zero-fat claims, increasing its appeal to health-conscious consumers. Made with patented microparticulation technology, Nutrilac® ProteinBoost enables smooth protein addition with no technical challenges, requiring only heat treatment pasteurisation with homogenisation.
Easy to integrate into existing production lines, Arla Foods Ingredients’ whey protein solutions are ideal for a variety of applications and markets, such as:
- A nutritious, on-the-go boost for children
- A refreshing post-workout recovery drink
- A fortified breakfast juice for health-conscious consumers
- A nourishing drink for older consumers or patients with additional protein needs
Facundo Martin Cozzi, Application Project Manager, South America at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “South American consumers are increasingly seeking juice-style drink alternatives that combine natural ingredients, excellent taste, and refreshment with protein benefits such as satiety. Lacprodan® enables brands to combine the familiar taste of juice and the advantages of high-quality, clear whey protein isolates. For dairies, Nutrilac® ProteinBoost allows for innovation with refreshing juice-style drinks boasting superb mouthfeel and creaminess. Our solutions are also easy to use, providing an accessible way for manufacturers to develop their product lines, increase sales, and capture market share in a fast-growing segment.”
1Mordor Intelligence, ‘South America Functional Beverage Market & Share Analysis – Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025-2030), 2025
2‘Consumers in South America – Thoughts on Food and Whey Protein’ (Online quantitative survey by Arla Foods Ingredients, distributed by Lindberg International), 2025
Arla Foods Ingredients will highlight the functional benefits of pure BLG (beta-lactoglobulin) in a new protein soda concept at Vitafoods Europe.
Consumers are increasingly seeking functional beverages that support active, balanced lifestyles. In the past year alone, this has seen almost 20 % reduce their consumption of traditional carbonated drinks, with over 60 % citing health as the primary reason.1
Arla Foods Ingredients’ protein soda concept is a tailored response to the “better-for-you” soft drink trend, providing 10 g of protein per serving with zero sugar. It features Lacprodan® BLG-100 to deliver the nutritional power that consumers demand, while offering manufacturers the flexibility of hot and cold processing.
Compared to standard whey protein, Lacprodan® BLG-100 contains more of the essential and branched chain amino acids necessary to support muscle maintenance and growth. Its protein content also supports satiety, appealing to the increasing number of consumers interested in weight management.
Sarah Meyer, Head of Sales Development, Performance Nutrition, at Arla Foods Ingredients, said, “Our exciting new protein soda concept meets the needs of consumers keen to switch out sugary beverages for thirst-quenching, healthier options. Lacprodan® BLG-100’s outstanding purity ensures the refreshing, water-like viscosity, clarity and clean taste these consumers love. This enables brand owners to set a new quality standard for protein-enriched soft drinks, including those positioned around physical activity.”
Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a high-protein concept for gamers who want to level up their nutrition. Titled ‘PROGAMER’, the ready-to-drink solution is designed to meet the needs of e-sports enthusiasts seeking benefits for their health as well as their gaming performance.
The concept features energy-boosting ingredients alongside the game-changing whey protein isolate Lacprodan® SP-9213, which is clear, provides a refreshing taste and is high in essential and branched-chain amino acids.
Cido Silveira, Arla Foods Ingredients Marketing & Business Development Manager – South America, said: “There’s a stereotype of gamers bingeing on unhealthy snacks and guzzling down energy drinks, but a new, nutrition-focused generation is emerging. They want to maintain their energy and concentration levels over marathon sessions, but they also want the many benefits that high-protein products offer. PROGAMER allows manufacturers to formulate unique, refreshing, clear, high-protein solutions for gamers who want more from their energy drinks.”
Protein plays a crucial role in general health, supporting muscle growth, repair and overall body function. Research has also found that consuming essential amino acids leads to improvements in attention and cognitive flexibility.1 A study on esports athletes, meanwhile, showed that sufficient protein intake is associated with improved cognitive performance in gaming.2
A 310 ml can of the ‘PROGAMER’ beverage concept features 15 g of protein, including 3767 mg of branched-chain amino acids. It also contains taurine, magnesium, zinc, caffeine and vitamins A, B3, B6 and B12 to support essential gamer needs such as concentration and vision. In addition, the concept is free from sugar, fat and lactose and contains only 60 kilocalories per can.
Arla Foods Ingredients will showcase the ‘PROGAMER’ concept at NIS (the Nutri Ingredients Summit) in São Paulo, Brazil, on 23rd and 24th April. Exhibiting at Stand 3-35, it will highlight growing opportunities for e-sports nutrition products in the Latin American market – with over half of Brazilian gamers spending more than 20 hours per week playing.3
Visitors to the stand will also be able to discover two clear shake concepts made with 100 % whey protein isolate ingredients. Go Natural is a fruit-infused flavored water made with Lacprodan® ISO.WaterShake. Go Fresh, meanwhile, is a thirst-quenching shake created with Lacprodan® ClearShake that has a refreshing lemonade taste.
1Suzuki, H. et al. ‘Intake of Seven Essential Amino Acids Improves Cognitive Function and Psychological and Social Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial’ Frontiers in Nutrition (2020)
2Goulart, J.B. et al. ‘Nutrition, lifestyle, and cognitive performance in esport athletes’ Frontiers in Nutrition (2023)
3Konvoy ‘LatAm Gaming Market’ July 21, 2023
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
