FORMULATING WITH PROTEIN
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DEVELOPING NEW PROTEIN PRODUCTS
DEVELOPING NEW PROTEIN PRODUCTS
When beginning to develop a new high-protein food or supplement, your choice of ingredients, processing and packaging will all primarily be determined by the type of product you set out to make. A ready-to drink liquid beverage will require different processing than a ready to mix powdered beverage.
TASTE ISN'T THE ONLY IMPORTANT FACTOR
Milk proteins with a high casein content such as micellar casein, calcium or sodium caseinate, and milk protein concentrate or isolate will be more heat stable, which is necessary if you intend to have an aseptic or ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed product for extended shelf life at ambient conditions.
WHAT PURPOSE WILL YOUR APPLICATION SERVE
For instant beverage mixes such as powdered protein shakes, collectively known as ready to mix (RTM), whey protein concentrate or isolate are preferred. Whey proteins hydrate more quickly than caseins, which gives a smoother, creamier mouthfeel in the mixed beverage.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR BLEND TO ACHIEVE THE BEST FUNCTIONALITY
For food applications such as nutritional bars, baked goods, baking mixes, confections, or functional snack foods, the choice of protein ingredients is a bit more nuanced. Oftentimes the best performance is achieved by utilizing a blend of multiple protein sources that each impart specific functional benefits to the finished food matrix. For example, utilizing a whey protein hydrolysate in a protein bar can help to reduce hardening of the bar over shelf life, thus improving the consumer experience.