New Protein and Calcium Solution Targets Growing Market for Convenience Foods

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Anna Quaglia

With more people living in cities than ever before and time for traditional sit-down meals shrinking, Arla Foods Ingredients (Viby J, Denmark) is hoping to capitalize on the growing demand for healthy snack products with the launch of its new Health to-Go protein solution.

The new solution combines Arla’s Nutrilac PB-8420 whey protein with its milk-sourced Capolac calcium ingredient. It is appropriate for formulation in snacks, juices, and milk-based drinks, says Arla.

Citing booming convenience store sales driven by “rocketing demand for ‘grab-and-go’ products,” as well as a United Nations report that predicts 66% of people globally will live in cities by 2050, Arla believes the demand for healthy, convenient foods will continue to grow.

“Already, convenience is an unstoppable mega-trend in the food industry, and in the past few years has been communicated on-pack more frequently than any other benefit,” says Troels Laursen, head of health & performance nutrition, Arla. “In fact, so far this year, 82% of newly launched food and beverage products have featured a convenience-related claim, according to Innova [Market Insights].”

Arla points to whey protein’s potential benefits to satiety, blood glucose levels, weight, and body composition as part of Health to-Go’s nutritious appeal, as well as calcium’s possible influence on supporting bone health and reducing the absorption of dietary fat during a meal.

“Consumers are beginning to understand that healthy, nutrient-dense snacks are a better choice than sugary, fatty products that offer little more than empty calories,” says Laursen. “Our Health to-Go solution gives snack food manufacturers a way to profit from this by creating products that are healthy alternatives and will appeal to busy urban consumers seeking convenient and nutritious products.”

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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com