The global producer of functional ingredients has created the new gel using its Nutri Whey Isolate Clear ingredient which the firm launched last year. The transparency of the formulation, along with its adaptable viscosity and clean, neutral taste profile aim to make the innovation appropriate for use within a variety of formats, flavours and nutritional densities - from squeezable pouches to spoonable pots.
What's more, the firm says the gel will provide up to 15% protein content meaning that even a small portion size can offer the same amount of premium quality protein as the average 500ml RTD beverage - ideal for convenient snacking during endurance training.
Vicky Davies, global marketing director, performance and active nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, said: “This is an exciting development. With the mainstreaming of performance nutrition, demand is growing for high protein supplements and snacks that fit within a busy lifestyle – so with little or no preparation and designed for fast consumption.
"This ‘conveniently nutritious’ trend was clearly visible in our recent global research with FMCG Gurus into the evolving sports nutrition sector.”
Our new Nutri Whey Isolate is a very clear whey protein. It was originally aimed at patients who have difficulty swallowing,” Dieperink said.
“But now we have moved it into sports nutrition. So it is an example of something that started out as a medical food that was moved into a new application,” he said.
Nutri Whey Isolate Clear
The firm's clear whey protein isolate is differentiated by the type of cheese from which the whey is derived, which contributes to the clarity, clean mouthfeel and neutral taste of the resulting isolate.
Proprietary filtration technology is then used to make a whey protein isolate that is very low in fat so that it can remain clear in solution.
FrieslandCampina’s research shows the global healthy snack market will grow to $33 billion by 2025. In North American and Europe, products with high and/or added protein claims grew by 87% in the 2015 to 2018 time frame. And 25% of beverages across several categories contained added protein.