IN Brief:
- BUILD combines Lacprodan ISO.RefreshShake with creatine for strength focused products.
- SUSTAIN uses Lacprodan Pro2O with carbohydrates and electrolytes for endurance applications.
- MOVE combines Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake with collagen in a mobility focused concept.
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed three clear protein shake concepts using different whey proteins and functional ingredients to create formulations for strength, endurance and mobility applications.
BUILD combines Lacprodan ISO.RefreshShake with creatine, SUSTAIN uses Lacprodan Pro2O with carbohydrates and electrolytes, and MOVE pairs Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake with collagen. All three will be demonstrated at SupplySide Global in Las Vegas from 28 to 30 October.
The concepts use a common clear beverage format while changing the protein system and supporting ingredients according to the intended nutritional brief. They are development formulations rather than finished consumer products announced for retail sale.
Clear protein drinks require whey to remain dispersed without producing the opacity and heavier mouthfeel associated with conventional dairy shakes. Protein concentration, pH and thermal treatment all influence whether the beverage stays clear or develops haze, sediment or excessive viscosity.
Creatine changes that formulation environment in BUILD because its own solubility and stability have to be managed alongside the whey system. The finished drink must deliver both ingredients at the intended concentration without creating precipitation or sensory problems during storage.
SUSTAIN introduces carbohydrates and electrolytes, increasing dissolved solids and changing the ionic conditions around the protein. Minerals can affect protein interactions, while additional carbohydrate alters sweetness and body, so the beverage has to be formulated around the combined system rather than by adding each ingredient independently.
MOVE introduces collagen alongside whey protein. Combining protein sources can alter taste, viscosity and physical stability, particularly where the formulation also has to preserve the lighter appearance expected from a clear drink.
Arla Foods Ingredients uses different Lacprodan products across the three concepts because the operating conditions differ between formulations. Protein choice has to match the acidity, concentration, added ingredients and processing route if clarity and flavour are to remain acceptable after filling and storage.
The platform approach gives product developers a common beverage architecture from which several propositions can be created, but each version still requires separate validation. A formulation that remains stable with creatine may behave differently after electrolytes or collagen change the chemical environment.
Manufacturing several variants also increases raw material and changeover requirements. Different powders have to be stored, weighed and dosed correctly, while cleaning and allergen controls must fit around the production schedule without eroding the efficiency gained from sharing one beverage format.
Arla Foods Ingredients will also demonstrate three other concepts at SupplySide Global. AirBar uses Nutrilac PB-8420 to create an aerated milk protein bar with a lighter structure, while a water based shot using Lacprodan BLG-100 contains 21g of protein per 100ml.
The small volume shot is positioned around companion nutrition for consumers using GLP-1 therapies and is formulated to be fat free, sugar free and low in lactose. Its technical challenge is concentrating protein into a small serving without allowing viscosity, flavour or astringency to make the format difficult to consume.
A separate protein soda uses Lacprodan Pro2O in a carbonated drink. Carbonation, low viscosity and fruit flavour move the product away from a conventional dairy shake, while the protein system still has to remain sufficiently clear and stable to preserve the appearance expected from a soft drink.
Demand for such formats is increasing pressure on specialised whey fractions because clear beverages depend on ingredients with tightly controlled solubility and sensory characteristics. Producing those fractions requires additional dairy separation and membrane processing compared with less specialised whey products.
As more protein moves into drinks, bars and compact nutrition formats, formulation performance becomes as important as the headline protein quantity. A high concentration that produces persistent bitterness, sediment or unstable texture does not survive the transition from concept to commercial product.
Arla Foods Ingredients is using the six SupplySide concepts to demonstrate different routes through those constraints. The three personalised shakes show how one clear protein format can support several nutritional briefs, while the additional bar, shot and soda illustrate how protein functionality changes when the physical form changes.
Commercial adoption will depend on whether manufacturers can reproduce those formulations on their own equipment, at their required shelf life and with ingredient costs that fit the target market. The development work establishes possible combinations; production trials determine whether they remain stable once they leave the applications laboratory.
