Consumers have an improved awareness of the link between nutrition and health, and are looking for food and beverage products that can support their goals. In the U.S. and overseas, the dramatically rising senior population is looking to combat healthcare costs and age-related muscle loss. The number of people over the age of 60 globally is forecast to increase from 11% of the world population in 2012 to 22% (just more than 2 billion) in 2050. In developing countries, increased disposable income enables consumers to buy products that offer far greater nutritional impact.

According to multiple reports, demand for protein is a long-term, sustainable trend. In the U.S., 88% of consumers recognize protein helps build muscle; 60% agree it creates a feeling of fullness; and 60% indicate a high-protein diet may support weight loss.

“Not only are we seeing increased use in the U.S. market, but demand for dairy protein is accelerating across the globe as health and wellness agendas dominate, and consumers are demanding more value from their food and beverage products,” said Vikki Nicholson, senior vice president, global marketing, U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).

With these consumer trends as well as recent studies reinforcing dairy’s nutritional value, global demand for dairy proteins is off the charts. U.S. whey manufacturers can produce hundreds of different whey products to meet varying protein levels, mineral contents, lactose contents, functional properties and other specifications.

“Food and beverage manufacturers are developing products using ingredients catering to their populations’ needs, and dairy ingredients perfectly fit this need, with high protein and calcium content, versatility, functionality and flavor,” said Ms. Nicholson. “As their own domestic dairy industries are unable to keep pace producing the quantity or, often, the quality they seek, many emerging markets have turned to imports. And that’s where the U.S. is playing a valuable role.”

The food and beverage industry is learning more about the many benefits of versatile dairy proteins like whey protein and milk protein concentrate, moving ingredients previously only recognized by the weightlifting crowd into the mainstream.

Quality for Formulators
Complete proteins—those that contain all essential amino acids necessary to build and maintain muscle—are found mainly in animal sources of protein, including meat and dairy. Dairy proteins add nutrition, flavor and function to foods and beverages while enhancing protein content.

Dairy proteins have the highest protein quality rating on the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), a method for scoring protein quality. The Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) is a new proposed assessment method that more accurately measures protein quality, according to a 2013 report released by the FAO Expert Consultation. Under the recommendation to replace PDCAAS with DIAAS, dairy protein quality scores are estimated to increase, thereby more accurately reflecting the high quality of dairy proteins versus alternative protein sources. 

High quality whey protein is found naturally in dairy. Rich in leucine and other branched-chain amino acids, whey protein is beneficial for stimulating muscle protein synthesis and has a neutral taste, complementing the flavor of the food to which it is added. Whey protein is fast-acting and easily digested, making isolates and concentrates valuable to the functional food and beverage industry available to consumers interested in weight management, muscle benefits and healthy aging.

Research on Whey Protein Benefits
A study led by researchers from the University of Connecticut in collaboration with Boston Children’s Hospital has added new insight to the scientific body of evidence on whey protein’s role in developing lean muscle as well as its efficiency in comparison to soy protein. Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2013, the study included regular adults as opposed to elite athletes and is welcome news for health-minded consumers trying to improve their overall wellness. The positive results were achieved at levels that food and beverage manufacturers can readily incorporate into products that would be convenient to meet consumers’ desires.

The study was funded by the Dairy Research Institute, which was established under the leadership of America’s dairy farmers through the dairy checkoff program. It followed 63 young men and women (18-35 years old, ~73 kg) for nine months as they completed a thrice-weekly resistance-training program. Participants were divided into three groups: whey n = 19 (13 male; 6 female), soy n = 22 (11 male; 11 female) and carbohydrate n = 22 subjects (13 male; 9 female). These healthy participants were given either 22 grams of whey protein concentrate or soy protein isolate daily at breakfast on non-training days or immediately following resistance exercise. Measurements collected at baseline, 3-month, 6-month and 9-month intervals included body mass and body composition.

“After completing nine months of resistance training, all three groups experienced increases in lean muscle mass,” said principal investigator Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, professor at the University of Connecticut. “The gains for participants consuming whey protein (3.3 kg) were, however, significantly greater than for participants consuming soy protein (1.8 kg)—potentially due to the higher levels of plasma branched-chain amino acids, especially leucine, observed in the whey protein group.”

New Ways to Use Whey & Milk Protein
A variety of novel applications use dairy proteins to help consumers meet intake recommendations. In 2012, the share of U.S. dairy product introductions making a protein claim (e.g., “added protein” and/or “high source of protein”) increased by nearly 11% from 2011, according to Innova Market Insights, and remains strong in 2014.

“We are seeing dairy proteins introduced in new product lines ranging from the expected snack bars, cereals and smoothies to newer applications such as oatmeal, clear sports nutrition beverages and beverage powder mixes, to breads, breakfast pastries and pasta,” said Kimberlee Burrington, ingredient applications coordinator for the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research (WCDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

USDEC is continually developing new ways to use dairy proteins in products targeting the latest consumer trends. A few sample formulations that support the consumer desire for added protein include:

• Café Yogurt Frappé: Made with yogurt and whey protein concentrate, this drink combines high-quality protein, calcium, riboflavin and phosphorus with all the caffeine from a cup of coffee.
• Savory, Soft Protein Pretzel: A “good source” of protein for an authentic soft pretzel flavor experience with the sodium-lowering benefits of dairy product solids.
• VeggieMoo Dumpling With Reduced Sodium Sauce: These vegetable-stuffed dumplings combine high-quality dairy protein with flour for the dough.

For more information on these applications, visit www.innovatewithdairy.com. 

Dairy proteins are well positioned to continue an upward climb in popularity among food and beverage manufacturers, as consumer demand increases and research supporting dairy protein’s value and ease of use in product formulation advances. The strong capabilities of the U.S. dairy industry can provide food and beverage manufacturers the peace of mind needed to bring products to market on a global scale.  

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Shannon Koski has a BS in Food Science from the University of Minnesota, and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institutes International of Minnesota. She worked in research and development in the dairy industry for six years before joining the U.S. Dairy Export Council, where she has been consulting as an account manager for seven years. She can be reached at [email protected].