Epi Ingredients launches high-protein yogurt concept to inspire manufacturers

13 Sep 2018 --- Epi Ingredients is launching a high-protein yogurt concept produced with ultra-filtered dairy powders, named SoBenefik. Designed to illustrate the features of Epi Ingredients’ offering, the new launch is part of the SoUnik range of finish product concepts. This range is designed to help food, beverage and nutrition manufacturers visualize what they can do with the company’s ingredients.

“The goal for Epi Ingredients is not to sell these concepts. With this range of finished products, we are merely aiming at driving innovation, showcasing the company’s application expertise and dairy ingredients know-how as well as promoting the use of our specialty ingredients, in this case native protein Epiprot 60 UL, in new product developments,” explains Mathieu Lucot, Marketing Manager at Epi Ingredients.
 
SoBenefik is a low-fat yogurt containing 8 percent protein, live cultures and a rich, creamy texture. According to the company, this is made possible with the use of Epiprot 60 UL, a native milk protein concentrate produced directly from fresh milk through a cold filtration process allowing for minimal denaturation and optimal functional & nutritional properties.

Since SoBenefik is produced using exclusively high-quality dairy powders, cultures and water, it could be particularly interesting for markets where the fresh milk supply may be limited, or where preserving the integrity of fresh raw milk can be challenging.

SoBenefik was developed with the end-consumer in mind, as a clean, convenient and affordable smart snacking option for increasingly time-deprived modern consumers. 

Snacking has become a major activity for consumers, with more of us frequently snacking throughout the day. Busy lifestyles, concerns about long-term health and the desire to get health-boosting benefits from daily food and drinks have affected the snack aisle. 

According to Innova Market Insights data, 30.4 percent of snacks launches tracked have a clean label claim (Global, 2017). Clean label claims in snacks are continuing to grow and there has been increased launch activity in NPD in recent years.

High-protein yogurt could be a healthy replacement for high energy-dense snacks by improving satiety and delaying the desire to eat again, thus curbing overall calorie consumption. 

SoBenefik offers a creamy, indulgent mouthfeel and delivers on the healthy attributes: high-protein, low fat and rich in native calcium. It offers the additional benefit of supplying about 30 percent of the calcium RDA per 100g, according to the company.

Epi Ingredients launched Epiprot 60 UL, its first ever protein concentrate, at the end of last month.

This native ingredient fits into the company’s new protein range, Epiprot, which also includes caseinates and acid caseins and will soon feature additional offerings of milk protein concentrates and isolates. Epiprot 60 UL is a milk protein concentrate that contains 60 percent total native protein.