Lactalis Ingredients releases sunflower-based protein range to answer clean label trend
09 Nov 2020 --- France-based whey protein producer Lactalis Ingredients is releasing a range of protein ingredients formulated with sunflower lecithin. This comes amid a rising demand for clean label products in sports nutrition.
The new range is positioned as an alternative to the traditional soy-based lecithin ingredient. Lecithin is a substance occurring in animal and plant tissue, is ideal for making instant mixes such as shakes and produces a smooth texture.
“The ever-increasing demand for natural products coupled with soy lecithin starting to be stigmatized is increasing the demand for sunflower lecithin,” Charlotte Magnant, project manager at Lactalis Ingredients, tells NutritionInsight.
Responding to GMO and allergy concerns
The search for a suitable replacement ingredient led Lactalis Ingredients to sunflowers, Magnant says, as they can be certified clean label from any global source. “It is naturally guaranteed GMO-free because no genetically modified sunflower plants have been grown commercially anywhere in the world.”
Soy lecithin can be linked to allergen problems and has been criticized for a rapid increase in cross-contamination with GMO soy.
“Sunflower lecithin is hypoallergenic, environmentally sustainable and does not need to be declared as an allergen, unlike soy.”
Lactalis Ingredients’ Laktein and Pronativ products also boast a 79 to 95 percent protein on dry matter content and have a low lactose reference.
Sunflower lecithin is guaranteed non-GMO. Clean label whey protein
Sunflower lecithin will be added to two of Lactalis Ingredients’ whey protein products: Laktein and Pronativ.
Creating products with the clean label guarantee is increasingly important, says the company. This is as consumers are increasingly aware of how ingredients are sourced and their related health benefits.
“Even in the sports nutrition sector, expectations are changing among consumers and industry players in sports nutrition have been able to revitalize their image to appeal to as many people as possible. Above all, consumers are looking for clean labels and natural products that reassure them.”
An Innova Market Insights report this year found that F&B product launches with clean label claims, including supplements, had risen 29 percent between 2015 and 2019. Sports nutrition products were also the fastest growing market category, with 38 percent growth (CAGR) during the same period.
The rising tide of clean label products
According to key players, products carrying a clean label marker are increasingly common in the F&B and supplements markets and have become a mainstream movement.
Amid the COVID 19 pandemic, the trend is increasingly important, and consumers are paying greater attention to the products they put in their bodies.
In a previous interview on the clean label, Stephane Vouche, marketing manager for Lonza capsules and health ingredients, shared with NutritionInsight how the trend is converging with other global mega-trends.
Pronativ: Protein at its “purest”
Before being altered with sunflower lecithin, the Pronativ protein ingredient was touted as having greater muscle-building benefits and improving sports recovery and performance.
The product is developed using a different technological process to usual protein synthesis. It features a cold filtration technique that enables the whey protein present in fresh milk to be directly extracted instead of being collected as a byproduct of dairy processing and manufacturing.
By Louis Gore-Langton
