Weight Management Products Benefit from Dairy Proteins

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a new generation of dairy protein ingredients designed for inclusion in delicious and filling weight management products that fit seamlessly into consumers’ every-day routines. The weight management category remains strong, and within that category, protein takes centre-stage, with 57% of consumers seeking out protein sources, according to Arla Foods Ingredients.

Lindsey Ormond, Business Development Manager for Health & Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “The weight management market is booming and shoppers are looking for products that help them maintain a healthy weight without significantly altering how they eat. They want products that are convenient, taste good and are effective. This is where dairy proteins come in. They can be used to create products that offer all of these qualities, while also delivering the health benefits of high quality protein.”

Evidence is mounting that a high proportion of protein in the diet increases weight loss and prevents weight gain. This is believed to be due to protein’s beneficial impact on appetite, satiety and energy expenditure. The energetic cost of metabolizing protein is higher than for carbohydrates and fat. Whey protein also leads to greater diet-induced thermogenesis (heat production) than soy or casein protein, increasing energy expenditure, which can lead to improved body composition. Evidence is also growing that whey enhances glycemic regulation.

Arla Foods Ingredients will present two concepts at the forthcoming VitaFoods show to showcase the potential of its proteins in the weight management category:

A smoothie made with Lacprodan Smooth80, a whey protein that can boost the protein content of smoothies to as high as 6% without negatively impacting on taste or texture
A snack bar formulated with Nutrilac PB-8420 – a natural milk protein – which offers a delicious taste and a long shelf life with a pleasant soft texture that is retained for more than a year

Lindsey added: “Dairy proteins hold an attraction for consumers seeking a more natural, nutritious and long-term way to manage their weight instead of a quick-fix. They also offer a convenient and sociable approach to watching food intake compared with the hassle of counting calories. With weight management such a good proposition right now, we’ve created Lacprodan Smooth80 and Nutrilac PB-8420 to make it easy for manufacturers to develop high protein products that weight-conscious consumers will want to buy again and again.”

Source: Arla Foods Ingredients