Carbery Launches Clean Tasting Hydrolysed Whey Protein

Nutritionally, Optipep offers high levels of di- and tri-peptides which are ideal for rapid delivery of essential peptides for recovery and strength building.

9 Jun 2010 --- European whey protein manufacturer Carbery unveils Optipep, its hydrolysed whey protein range, with a newly developed clean tasting offer for the sports nutrition market. Built on recent in-depth sensory studies with the North Carolina State University (NCSU), Optipep’s new clean tasting profile makes it an ideal ingredient for sports nutrition and beverage manufacturers. This is a unique selling point as it allows sports nutrition manufacturers to incorporate hydrolysed whey protein without any compromises in terms of customer experience or flavour in final products. Nutritionally, Optipep offers high levels of di- and tri-peptides which are ideal for rapid delivery of essential peptides for recovery and strength building. Optipep also enables manufacturers to make a hydrolysed whey protein claim on their product labels to appeal to specific customer sectors.

“By evolving our Optipep range, we are now offering our customers what is believed to be one of the best tasting hydrolysed whey proteins (HWP) on the market”, comments Bridget Holmes, Innovation Project Manager, Carbery. “Our industry leading research into HWP flavour profiles with NCSU, which started last year, included benchmark work comparing a range of leading products in the market place and is the first in-depth study of its kind. Focusing on HWPs, the study allowed us to evolve Optipep’s taste profile and ensure best-fit as an ingredient for sport and fitness-related nutrition from a sensory perspective.”

“The research has given us the toolkit to produce consistently, clean tasting hydrolysates for our customers. Optipep’s clean taste has been achieved via the use of specialist enzyme technology and investment in process technology which work to minimise the impact of bitterness associated with hydrolysis. Through our sports division, Carbery Sports, we also offer a range of final formulations containing Optipep for sports nutrition manufacturers and retailers”

The ingestion of Optipep also results in an increased insulin response. Higher insulin concentrations in the blood stimulate the uptake of certain amino acids into the muscle, promoting muscle protein synthesis and decreasing breakdown by inhibiting amino acid oxidation. In addition, like many whey proteins, Optipep delivers high levels of essential branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), which reduce the breakdown of protein to protect muscle tissue.