SPORTS NUTRITION: Protein: Beyond Bars, Beverages

FORMULATING FOODS

Formulating Foods explores the latest health and nutrition news and research—as well as the latest ingredient and food application innovations—to determine what consumers want (and need) from the food and beverage products they consume, and how industry can make it happen. 

Protein: Beyond Bars, Beverages

Rachel Adams

August 18, 2014 - Blog

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Everything’s coming up protein—and not just the sports nutrition market. Good-tasting, convenient new products that tap into the rising demand and provide choices beyond bars and beverages are well-positioned for success.

Protein provides a wide array of health benefits, including some recognized by consumers outside of bodybuilders and athletes. Not only does protein fortification signal increased strength and endurance, more and more it’s being associated with weight management, satiety and healthy aging.

Protein-fortified soups might be just the thing to shore up sales in that category. According to market research firm NPD Group, 30 percent of primary grocery shoppers said they want to see more types of protein-enriched foods in the future. Protein-enriched soup was the most-desired food item. Plus, a convenient heat-and-eat soup would appeal to seniors, a demographic that has a large segment in need of more protein in their diet.

Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox offers a sample formulation: Lentil Power Soup, contributed by The U.S. Dairy Export Council, which combines the exotic, flavorful appeal of a vegetable-rich lentil-curry soup with the power of dairy proteins. The formulation uses proteins from milk protein concentrate and a concentrated casein ingredient, each serving delivering 20 grams of protein.

As a healthful bonus, the soup also provides 35 percent Daily Value of calcium.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: Protein Power Fuels Product Innovation

Protein Power Fuels Product Innovation

Judie Bizzozero

June 25, 2014 - Blogs

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Protein is associated with a wide range of health benefits, including aiding with weight management, boosting satiety, regulating blood glucose, helping muscle recovery, controlling blood sugar and more.

A new Packaged Facts’ Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS) report—“Tapping Protein Power For Product Innovation and Nutrition-Based Marketing"—paints a rosy picture for the protein sector as more consumers have turned their attention to protein to boost nutrition in their diets. In fact, 62 percent of consumers agree they are “making a point of getting enough protein" from the foods and beverages they consume.
Current lifestyle and demographic shifts open up fresh menu and packaged food opportunities related to protein, as does the heightened interest in vegetarian sources of protein, which extends the potential for innovation deeper into meal, snack and beverage territory.

“Americans continue to seek out protein for a variety of health and wellness concerns, and to increase maintenance, growth and repair functions of the body," said David Sprinkle, publisher of the Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS) and research director for Packaged Facts. “With the popularity of diets like Paleo, Primal and Atkins, protein has been the darling of lean diets for more than two decades now, and ties in more broadly to the consumer quest for health and wellness food and beverages to address specific health concerns. This presents a unique opportunity for food manufacturers, retailers and restaurants."

Targeted and nutrition-science based communication regarding the benefits of dietary protein tailored for specific needs and audiences will spur the success of these innovations. The report identified five key areas prime for growth.

Macho and high-protein drinkable yogurt. Yogurt continues to show strong growth in the wake of the Greek yogurt revolution, and Packaged Facts projects the U.S. yogurt market to total $9.3 billion by 2017. Niche segments, such as drinkable yogurt and kefir and yogurt marketed to men, are staking claim to their own share of the pie.

Almonds and nut butters. New nutritional perspectives have positioned nuts, and especially almonds, high on the good and good-for-you list. The healthy positioning of almonds and the natural flavor and texture they provide make them an ideal source of protein for consumers. Nut butters, driven by convenience and portability, are ideal as more indulgent protein sources.

Snack bars get heartier. High-protein snack bars are leveraging the rise of snacking and the healthful positioning of snack bars in the market.

Analogs for chicken protein. Alternatives to meat are gaining ground as delicious foods in their own right, and not just as more nutritionally correct substitutes. Alternative protein sources, including the eggless egg, are foods to watch.

Exotic meats as back-to-roots protein. Charcuterie is big and the salumi craft is holy ground within foodie culture. Wild boar is gaining popularity in fine dining restaurants as consumers explore new, less mass-produced sources of meat.

The global protein market is growing and is projected to reach $24.5 billion by 2015 with a focus on plant-based proteins. Rising costs, sustainability concerns and the ever growing consumer desire to eat clean are the reasons behind the nondairy, meat-free shift. To find out more about how food developers are creating protein-rich foods, download the free “Protein: A Plant-Based Look at this Power Macronutrient" report from Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox. Protein has been a trending ingredient. Check out my blog earlier this month about2014: The Year of Protein Innovation.

HEALTH ALERT: SOY-DAIRY PROTEIN EXTENDS AMINO ACID DELIVERY TO MUSCLES

SOY-DAIRY PROTEIN EXTENDS AMINO ACID DELIVERY TO MUSCLES

Published April 25, 2014 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Science & Research, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Nutrition, Diet, Proteins, Whey, Dairy,Dairy Ingredients, Amino Acids, Beverages, Snack Foods, Fortification, Functional Foods, Sports Nutrition, Weight Management, Casein, DuPont Health & Nutrition

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—Using a protein blend of soy, casein and whey post-workout prolongs the delivery of select amino acids to the muscle for an hour longer than using whey alone, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. It also shows a prolonged increase in amino acid net balance across the leg muscle during early post-exercise recovery, suggesting prolonged muscle building.  

The double-blind, randomized clinical trial included 16 healthy subjects, ages 19 to 30, to assess if consumption of a blend of proteins with different digestion rates would prolong amino acid availability and lead to increases in muscle protein synthesis after exercise. The protein beverages provided to study subjects consisted of a soy-dairy blend (25 percent isolated DuPont™ Danisco® SUPRO® soy protein, 50 percent caseinate, 25 percent whey protein isolate) or a single protein source (whey protein isolate). Muscle biopsies were taken at baseline and up to 5 hours after resistance exercise. The protein sources were ingested 1 hour after exercise in both groups.

Results concluded that consuming a soy-dairy blend leads to a steady rise in amino acids and an increase in select amino acid delivery for about an hour longer than the use of whey protein alone. The blend also sustained a greater positive net amino acid balance than whey, suggesting there is less muscle protein breakdown during the time period shortly after consumption of a blended protein product.

“This study sheds new light on how unique combinations of proteins, as opposed to single protein sources, are important for muscle recovery following exercise and help extend amino acid availability, further promoting muscle growth," said Blake B. Rasmussen, Ph.D., chair, department of Nutrition & Metabolism at the University of Texas Medical Branch and lead researcher of the study.

It's no surprise protein's popularity has been growing among consumers. The NPD Group study showed 24.9% of consumers look for protein on the Nutrition Facts label and 78% of consumers said protein contributes to a healthy diet. Half of those consumers say they want more protein in their diet.

“Because of the increased demand for high-quality protein, this study provides critical insight for the food industry as a whole, and the sports nutrition market in particular," said Greg Paul, Ph.D., global marketing director, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “With more and more consumers recognizing the importance of protein for their overall health and well-being, the results of this study have particular relevance to a large segment of the population, from the serious sports and fitness enthusiast to the mainstream consumer."

This is only part of a growing body of research that points to the value of dairy ingredients in sports nutrition. And dairy proteins aren't just for muscle—athletes interested in maintaining or losing weight can also benefit from high-quality dairy proteins. (Check out the "Dairy Ingredients in Sports Nutrition" Digital Issue from Food Product Design for more on this.) Coupled with soy protein ingredients—which have no cholesterol and are low in saturated fat—the possibilities are endless. For more on soy protein, check out Food Product Design's FoodTech Toolbox—the Infographic: Soy Protein Ingredients.