Arla offers high-protein iced tea as consumers seek healthier options

With the decline of traditional sugary carbonated soft drinks, companies such as Arla Food Ingredients are offering innovations that serve consumer’s functional needs -- by turning their attention to tea. 

Tea time 

Iced tea has long been popular as a healthy beverage due to its antioxidant properties. Arla is boosting its nutritional value by adding whey protein isolate into the mix. 

“Demand for innovative functional beverages is huge and high-protein iced tea is the perfect way to tap into it. One reason tea and protein are perfect partners is that both offer well recognized health benefits. Tea, which has been the drink of choice for millions of people around the world for centuries, has a powerful association with wellness. Similarly, protein’s benefits in areas such as weight loss and muscle growth are increasingly sought after by consumers,”​ said Ulrik Bank Pedersen, General Manager, North America, at Arla Foods Ingredients. 

Challenges 

While whey protein isolate is beneficial for building and maintaining muscle mass, the ingredient does come with challenges. 

The company said that delivering on the promise of a protein-rich beverage while maintaining tea’s clean, refreshing taste can be difficult. To overcome this challenge, Arla offers three different processing-stable whey protein isolate solutions for high-protein iced tea beverages. The product range includes:

• Lacprodan ISO.Water: Functional whey protein isolate with a strong amino acid profile, zero fat, zero lactose and a protein content of about 90% dry matter.
• Lacprodan ISO.Clear: Functional whey protein isolate for protein fortification of sports and nutrition products. It has a high heat stability and is clear in solution making it suitable for pasteurized or UHT beverages. Protein content of about 90% dry matter. 
• Lacprodan ClearShake: Functional whey protein isolate developed for protein fortification in ready-to-use dry mixes for sports and health products, with about 90% protein concentrate dry matter. 

A new spin

According to Future Market Insights, the growth of the fusion drink market is a result of the increasing trend of companies who reformulate their content to create fresh fusion drinks.

Arla’s whey protein hydrolysate portfolio already includes Lacprodan products such as HYDRO.PowerPro, SP-3071, HYDRO.365, HYDRO.Clear, HYDRO.Milk, and HYDRO.Power.

“By offering high-protein iced teas, manufacturers can put a new spin on an established consumer favorite without compromising on taste. And unlike some beverage ingredients, protein doesn’t set alarm bells ringing – in fact it’s likely to increase appeal. Whether it’s in an RTD or a shake, our solutions are the perfect way to create tasty, convenient high-protein iced teas that quench the thirst of health-conscious consumers,”​ said Pedersen. 

Arla Foods Ingredients’ whey protein isolate solutions can help manufacturers develop high-protein iced teas that offer real tea extract, high-quality protein, without sugar, fat or the taste of protein.