Protein Water Processing
The average consumer has little understanding of protein other than consuming more of it may improve their overall health. The health halo around protein has prompted many food and beverage manufacturers to feature claims on packaging calling out protein content. Protein biscuits, protein cereal, protein chips- let’s face it, there are few products that haven’t been hacked by protein.
Why Protein Water?
01. Sugar & Fat Free
02. Convenient source of protein
03. Helps to keep you hydrated
The average consumer has little understanding of protein other than consuming more of it may improve their overall health. The health halo around protein has prompted many food and beverage manufacturers to feature claims on packaging calling out protein content. Protein biscuits, protein cereal, protein chips- let’s face it, there are few products that haven’t been hacked by protein.
What is Protein Water?
Low in calories and carbs and high in protein, protein water is RTD beverage marketed as a healthy and nutritious drink. It is made from protein isolates (or maybe hydrolysates in some cases), so rather than a thick shake consumers get all the protein they want with flavoured water.
Consumers today demand beverages with appealing flavors and no bitter aftertaste. This requires the proteins to have specific properties.
They need to be
- Low in molecular weight for good digestibility,
- Low in viscosity to allow sufficient protein concentration
- And tasty for ease of consumption.
A key attribute of protein water is clarity. Whey Protein Isolate, a highly concentrated source of protein at 90%, is one of the few protein ingredients that can deliver. This is not without challenge, as heat processing of W.P.I. dissolved in a clear system may produce cloudiness. An inexpensive way to increase clarity is to allow adequate hydration time of the protein in solution before heat treatment.
To develop a protein beverage with no bitter taste, protein added needs to have specific characteristics. They should be low in molecular weight for good digestability, low in viscosity to allow sufficient protein concentration and tasty for ease of consumption.
Manufacturing Process
Though whey protein is a common ingredient, food processors today are switching to plant based, allergen free, gluten free protein ingredients to develop a clean label product. Some of the plant based protein ingredients gaining popularity are pumpkin seed protein, hemp protein
Market Scope
The global protein water market is expected to be fueled largely by increasing demand from the health conscious consumers. Due to an extensive advertisement, protein water has reached a much larger audience and therefore has a high preference among the vendors across the globe.