Key Interview: Carbery Address Protein Trends in Sports Nutrition Sector

03 Apr 2017 --- Dairy proteins have long been the cornerstone of the sports nutrition market. Demand for protein continues to grow not only within core markets but also across the broader food and beverage categories. Ingredient suppliers like Carbery are focused on adapting their portfolio of dairy ingredients to continue to provide innovate solutions to meet evolving consumer needs.

FoodIngredientsFirst recently caught up with Sarah O’Neill, Marketing Manager at Carbery Group who discussed some of the novel applications the company have developed in response to the consumer driven needs in this space.

“We’re seeing an increased demand in terms of diversity of the delivery formats for protein – be that pancakes, waffles, bite sized snacks, or alternatives to the traditional protein based RTD’s for example.  New format delivery is an area that we are actively working on, in conjunction with our sister company Synergy, who provide the flavor expertise in pairing the right flavor profiles with these new formats,” she confirms. 

Is the mainstreaming of sports nutrition the driving force behind much of this innovation? “Absolutely,” says O’Neill, “I think if you look at the increase in consumerism and the increased participation levels for a wide variety of sports from triathlon and adventure racing to CrossFit there is an increased demand for convenient products designed to assist with performance and recovery for these types of activities.” 

“Most of these sports enthusiasts are already leading busy lifestyles, and they are looking for ways to consume nutritionally balanced snacks and meals within their fast-paced day.  Snack-wave (the proliferation of snacking) has also hit the sports nutrition industry, with some consumer insight studies showing that many consumers are snacking up to 9 times per day” she adds. 

“Carbery has a long history of supplying high quality whey protein ingredients to the sports nutrition industry,” continues O’Neill, “And our ingredients are well positioned for application into the emerging formats that our customers are demanding. Whether that is a high protein RTD that requires a heat stable whey protein at neutral pH, a great tasting heat stable whey protein for hot lattes and indulgent tasting hot chocolates, or a hydrolyzed whey protein with enhanced water binding properties to maintain the softness of high protein bars or bites over their shelf-life.”

“High protein gels and shots are an example of a more niche area in sports nutrition. Traditionally gels were very much carbohydrate based and targeted for the endurance athlete, but more recently we are seeing innovation in the protein gels and shots category. The challenge for manufacturers is to deliver a shot or a gel that provides the required nutrition in a condensed format while tasting good.”

It can be quite complex delivering a high protein content, achieving optimal viscosity and solubility, while also balancing the taste expectations of the consumer, according to O’Neill. “Through our advanced processing techniques we aim to deliver proteins that exceed our customers’ expectations both from a nutritional, functional and taste perspective. We also work in conjunction with Synergy on their flavor solutions; such as dairy protein enhancers, flavor pairing for plant based proteins to mask off-notes, and bitterness masking, so that we can deliver a superior taste and nutritional balance within the products,” she explains. 

What are you seeing as most important purchase factor for consumers? “If you look at a lot of published consumer surveys you will see that time after time flavors emerge as the number one purchase factor,” states O’Neill, “Followed by protein level, and then many other factors. Flavor and overall taste are key factors, however to drive repeat purchase texture also needs to be very much adapted to what consumers are looking for. If the product isn’t a pleasant eating experience there won’t be a repeat purchase.” 

The introduction of flavor variety is also key to engage consumers, indulgent flavors trends like Red Velvet and Birthday Cake are making their way into various formats in the sports nutrition space. “Health conscious consumers still want sweet treats but without the added guilt,” she says. “American style dessert flavor trends are making it into these bite-sized formats and protein powders.” 

Snack and performance bars continue to be an exciting category in terms of innovation and projected growth. According to research, “Sports Protein Bars” will reach nearly €1.4b global value by 2021. 

“Bite-sized protein based snacks is also an area where we anticipate high growth. 7% of all snack bar launches in 2016 were in the bite-sized space (balls or bites or truffles or minis or squares),” she adds. 

According to O’Neill, the third wave of coffee (a movement to produce high-quality, or artisanal coffee) is also a trend that will make its way into sports nutrition. “We already see many coffee flavored protein products on the marketplace, I believe we may start to see some increased innovation in terms of coffee flavor profiles, processing techniques and origin claims emerge in the sports nutrition world.” 

“It’s a trend Carbery are well placed to capitalize on,” continued O’Neill, “Our colleagues in Synergy Flavors produce Synergy Pure™ coffee extracts, essences and concentrates through a proprietary processing technique. Our latest innovation, a 100% cold brew coffee concentrate, is ready made for our customers to capitalize on the cold brews explosion currently sweeping through the US.”    
 
“Other trends we are also seeing in sports nutrition are consumers looking for additional information on protein quality, source and sustainability credentials, with claims such as “grass fed whey” resonating with consumers in many countries.”

“Consumers are looking for products that they can trust both from a scientific, quality and sustainability perspective. As consumers are increasingly self-educating online, ingredient suppliers have a responsibility to communicate clearly on their own initiatives in these areas.”

Sustainability has changed from a buzz word that has gone from nice to have to need to have. “At Carbery, it has been built into our core business foundation since day one. Our outdoor grazing, extensive grass based farming approach provides us with the perfect environment for sustainable dairy farming. We have recently developed a short animation and symbol to support our customers in the marketplace as they communicate the benefits of “grass fed whey” to their consumers,” O’Neill finalizes. 

It’s clear that sports nutrition continues to be a dynamic and exciting market for ingredient suppliers today and into the future.

by Elizabeth Kenward