DENMARK – Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new whey protein hydrolysate that improves the taste profiles of products for patients with maldigestion or malabsorption.
According to Arla, Whey protein hydrolysates commonly used in medical nutrition products for people with conditions that impair their ability to digest or absorb protein usually have a bitter taste that is unpleasant to the consumers.
Taste is a key factor in patients’ compliance with nutritional regimes, and malnourishment is a serious problem for health services across the world.
It is linked with greater risk of complications, higher mortality and poor quality of life, as well as increased costs resulting from longer hospital stays and higher readmission rates.
As many as a quarter of patients admitted to hospital are malnourished, with the cost to European countries estimated to be as high as €170 billion a year.
In recent years, nutritional compliance has become even more important due to reduced healthcare budgets and lower bed availability.
Incorporating the new ingredient from Arla into these nutritional supplements will thus increase their uptake by patients, reducing the risk of noncompliance with nutritional regimes and preventing malnourishment.
In an addition to improving the taste profiles of whey protein ingredients, Arla says the new product is also rich in essential amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides.
WPH Lacprodan DI-3091 is suitable for food for special medical purposes (FSMP) and can be used in both ready-to-drinks and tube feed solutions.
The ingredient has a 21-27% degree of hydrolysis and reportedly offers a high content of essential amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides.
Kasper Faarkrog Høyer, sales development manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “WPH Lacprodan DI-3091 offers all the advantages of whey protein hydrolysate, including rapid absorption of nutrients. What distinguishes it is that it combines these benefits with a far better taste than similar ingredients.
“This means a more pleasurable experience for patients, which is particularly important considering the profound consequences of poor nutritional compliance during recovery.”
Earlier, Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new report highlighting the popularity of whey and milk protein ingredients in new product developments.
According to a report by Arla Foods, the global market for such products – most commonly protein bars, powder shakes and RTD beverages – has grown at a CAGR of 7% over the last ten years, with one in four people now consuming them at least once a week.
Now Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new concept to demonstrate how whey protein and casein can help manufacturers create on-trend meal replacement products.
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