Arla Foods Ingredients considers its Nutrilac LowCal solution a great way for dairy manufacturers to tap into the weight management category in a natural way that may allow for label claims.
The solution, which can be used to produce drinking or spoonable yogurt, comes in two forms - one containing whey protein and another whey protein and prebiotic fiber.
Yogurt produced with the former contains 36 calories per 100g of product, so qualifies for a 'low in calories' label claim.
Meanwhile, yogurt made with the the latter contains 3g of fiber per 100 calories, qualifying it for a 'high in fiber' claim.
Tapping into the weight loss management market
Kasia Kandulski Lindegaard, marketing and business development manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, told DairyReporter there is a huge gap in the weight management market, as many products in this space are not natural.
“A lot of these people fighting with their weight want to fight it in a more holistic approach,” she said.
“They would like to do it with natural solutions. We realized there was no product that helped in the dairy section. They had to go to the [powdered] weight loss management section. We would like to open a new category within the dairy segment to target weight management for consumers.”
She said dairy, specifically yogurt, is a great way for companies to push weight management solutions, as it makes for a light breakfast or afternoon snack.
This product, she said, meets all three criteria of what customers are looking for in weight management: low fat, low calories and added protein.
Keeping the mouthfeel
Even though the product is aimed at the lower calorie, weight management sector, Lindegaard said drinking yogurt made with the Nutrilac LowCal solution maintains the mouthfeel of spoonable yogurt.
“It’s because of the whey protein,” she said. “Normally there isn’t anything to bind the product together, which makes for a watery product. If you add this specific ingredient, it simulates the fat content."
"You still get the texture, which means you also get a very smooth mouth feel, but you won’t get any clumps or anything.”
“It’s still not the same product, but it’s very close.”
‘Hitting on the big trends’
As for what can be done with the products, Lindegaard said the product with protein added is perfect for being made into drinks, while the fiber added product is likely better suited for those looking to replace meals.
The former is perfect for the younger market that looks to take their food on the go, while older consumers are less used to drinking yogurt and want to be able to eat it with a spoon.
No matter what format the yogurt is in, Lindegaard is confident that customers will be interested in what Arla’s latest solution brings.
“We have a lot of [manufacturing] customers who are very interested in this, especially because it’s not something they were able to do before,” she said.
“We know that ‘lower in calories’ is an attractive thing. We also know that consumers are looking for protein within dairy products. We;re pretty sure that we’re hitting on the big trends.”