Maxum Foods pegs gourmet butter, cheese coffee and protein as key dairy trends for 2019

09 Apr 2019 --- Australian-based dairy supplier Maxum Foods believes that this will be the year in which dairy will lead in terms of product innovation. Although plant-based dairy alternatives have been in the spotlight for many months, research studies on dairy’s health benefits as well as its traditional appeal mean real dairy still remains popular.

According to Maxum Foods, the dairy category, in general, has been a point of discussion ever since studies indicated the lower health risks associated with dairy fats. Essentially, high-fat dairy enriched diets are “in” and low-fat diets are old news. 

Today’s consumer expects “more bang for their dairy buck, which has driven significant innovation in this category,” says the company, noting that gourmet butter, cheese coffee and growing protein offerings will be hitting the menus and dairy aisles this year. 

“The increased demand for dairy has remained strong which is pushing prices up for these products,” Breanna Caton, Marketing Manager at Maxum Foods, tells NutritionInsight. “It’s a very competitive space with multiple channels, as well as multiple origin availability for dairy ingredients.”

Gourmet flavored butter
Flavored butters are expected to gain momentum in 2019; think sweet and savory flavored butters such as honey, pistachio, jalapeno, lemon zest, pumpkin seed and even seaweed flavored butters. According to Maxum Foods, chefs have been taking butter to new flavor places for some time now, but this year, the industry can expect to see food companies answering consumer demands and providing packaged flavored butters sold at retail for convenience. 

Cheese coffee? 
Believe it or not, “cheese coffee” will be heard in coffee shops globally this year, says Maxum Foods. First, it was butter coffee, commonly referred to as “bulletproof coffee” and now cheese coffee is the latest fad which barista’s all over the world are catching on to, notes the company.

Cheese in coffee has a similar texture to marshmallows in hot chocolate. The cubes of cheese float to the top and absorb the coffee, developing a squeaky texture. It doesn’t stop there though; cheese tea is also a trend which the company expects will become mainstream by the end of the year.

The cheese tea trend started in Asia, then moved to the US and is expected to hit Australian shores this year. Cheese tea is usually served with either green or black tea and topped with a thick layer of salted cream cheese. As the cheese melts on top, it forms a similar texture to melted ice cream with a salty tang. 

Protein, protein, protein 
The protein trend has taken many food categories by storm, but Maxum Foods believes the dairy category presents numerous opportunities to satisfy protein savvy customers. 

Once just a trend among the health-obsessed millennials, the need for protein has extended to families with children, as well as seniors, who are adding high-protein foods to their weekly shops.

As a result, there is now an increased demand for high-protein yogurts, ice cream and convenient snack products, which all fit the “on-the-go lifestyles” that so many consumers opt for today. 

The continued mainstreaming of the sports nutrition sector is having a profound impact on new product activity and partly spurring recent innovation in protein. Innova Market Insights reports strong growth in sports-related positionings within mainstream food & beverage NPD. In 2017, over 5 percent of new global food & beverage launches featured protein claims, with CAGR of 29 percent from 2013-2017. Sporty makeovers are giving a prominent spot to protein in mainstream food & beverages, with amino acids booming, for example. 

Furthermore, new dairy proteins can make formulating protein-fortified products even easier, says Maxum Foods. There is now an entirely new category for protein emerging because a form of whey protein which can function in clear beverages is now available. Consequently, protein waters is a category which is snowballing. 

“We see an increase in this space which is driven by product innovation within the whey protein space. Ingredient companies are now producing whey protein in different formats which means it can be added to a whole new range of products,” notes Caton. 

For example, Isolac Clear – produced by Carbery – can be added to clear beverages as it provides clarity and no sedimentation. Also, Agropur produces “Protein Pods” which are manufactured using a proprietary blend of whey proteins that create a tender, crisp texture for a variety of food applications. “Protein Pods provide an appealing and crunchy texture to nutrition snacks and bars allowing food manufacturers to easily boost the protein level of their product and answering consumer demands,” she explains. 

Additionally, consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of gut health and the benefits of the fermentation process. Nutritional ingredient companies have been quick to respond to this trend and are now offering a whey protein isolate with prebiotic-promoting properties, tapping into the interest in the gut microbiome. 

Innova Market Insights data shows that the digestive health market is undergoing an NPD boom with innovation happening in a diverse range of categories. This expansion is illustrated when we look at the diverse areas where growth in new product development is taking place. While dairy is still by far the largest category for digestive health claims, growth is very modest globally, with just 0.3 percent growth reported in terms of CAGR from 2012 to 2017. 

According to Caton, transparency of the supply chain will continue to thrive well and truly into 2020. “Consumers are demanding more information about where their food comes from and food manufacturers will have to answer these questions to stay in the game,” she adds.

“Moreover, we can expect to see the niche dairy market continue to take off in 2020. The niche dairy market involves ingredients such as Lactoferrin which is used in products such as infant formula and personal care/cosmetic products.”

“The demand for dairy ingredients is also being driven by the Chinese demand for therapeutic goods, which isn’t showing signs of slowing down and we can expect this to continue as the dairy segment gathers pace,” she concludes.

By Elizabeth Green