Speaking to Nutrition Ingredients about Arla’s new range of “total hydration” clear whey protein drinks, Thomas Anderson, global sales, health and performance manager at Arla, said the company’s aim is to capitalise on a growing trend of consumers taking protein on the go in order to get multiple health benefits from the product.
“In recent years, and especially since the COVID pandemic, we’ve seen sports nutrition become more mainstream. Everyone wants to be healthier, and in the process, taste is becoming more important,” he said. “Also, one benefit is not enough. You want multiple benefits. When you’re hydrating with water, you want the benefits on top of that.”
“And that’s exactly what we’re doing with our protein water – no protein taste, plus the added benefits.”
The team showed off a kiwi and mint protein water, a lemongrass-flavoured protein water with coffee berry for a natural energy boost (Anderson claimed it was a solution comparable to the likes of Red Bull), and a white peach hibiscus-flavoured protein water with added zinc, allowing them to make a range of functionality claims.
“We’ve seen clear whey become popular and our opinion is that this is the next generation of that trend,” he added.
Nutrition Integrated recently announced that clear whey protein is the leader in today’s protein market, with the clear whey protein category seeing a 12% increase in the number of products sold over the 12 months ending December 2023.
Nick Morgan, managing director of Nutrition Integrated, noted that the category is reaching a wide range of customers thanks to appealing, refreshing flavours.
Hydration+
Meanwhile, a representative from PharmaLinea noted that they have seen particular interest in their new product, >Your< Hydramin Sticks.
“People ask us about hydration,” Matevš Ambrožić, the company’s marketing and communications director, told Nutrition Indicators. “We’ve been looking at hydration for a while now, so we knew it was a trend, especially in the U.S., but we didn’t expect it to become such a big hit here.”
He added that Liquid IV, a brand that sells stick sachets of powdered electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to be mixed with water, is leading the category, and there are many similar products on the market.
“So we decided to develop something a little different, something without added sugar,” he said.
He explained that most electrolyte drinks have sugar added to them to increase electrolyte absorption, but “nobody wants sugar,” so PharmaLinea developed an electrolyte powder with added amino acids to enhance absorption.
While hydration powders were once just part of the supplement repertoire for athletes and perhaps the most serious weekend warriors, Ambrozic explained that more and more brands are entering the space and wanting to bring these types of products to the mass market.
“There are so many stages in life where this product can be useful. It’s perfect for business people, gamers, moms, and those who want to stay hydrated on busy days.”
He added that many brands are interested in developing “hydration+” offerings, meaning electrolyte powders with added functional benefits.
“The product allows formulators to add a range of additional active ingredients, such as probiotics for gut health, B vitamins for energy or added electrolytes for sports nutrition,” he said.
