Raising a Toast
susceptible to denaturation;
therefore it is likely to get
separated out of beverages.
Whey protein presents an
excellent resort due to its
dissolution over a wide range
of pH values, which allows
its use in the formulation of
acidic and clear beverages
without the aid of any
s t a b i l i s e r s . H o w e v e r,
stringent control over the
processing is required in
the case of whey beverage
due to the susceptibility
of heat denaturation and
partial flocculation. Though
whey exhibits great
functionality, the utilisation
of plant proteins is constantly
increasing in the high protein
formulations because of
consumer ’s preferences
towards vegan foods and low
cost of these formulations.
However, there are certain
issues of stability and masking
of off flavours associated
with the utilisation of plant
proteins in the beverage
formulations. For instance,
utilisation of soy proteins
in beverage formulation
requires masking of the beany
flavour. Also, maintaining the
balance between the stability
and the viscosity of soy
protein beverage involves
a high level of expertise to
resolve the issues of poor
dissolution and cloudiness
by the utilisation of various
interventions such as:
utilisation of hydrolysates;
homogenisation; use of
stabilisers and emulsifiers; and
processes like agglomeration
and lecithination.
Prospects of
Protein Beverages
Protein presents a huge
Drink Asia
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Protein presents a huge market
potential in the beverage industry
while looking at the present scenario
of an increase in the demand for
protein-enriched convenience products
market potential in the
beverage industry while
looking at the present
scenario of an increase in
the demand for protein-
enriched convenience
p r o d u c t s . M o r e o v e r,
protein-based products bring
huge marketing possibilities
where they can be targeted
for various segments of the
market including: growing
children; fitness fanatics;
and ageing health-conscious
c o n s u m e r s . H o w e v e r,
finding the congeniality of the
protein source, optimising
the processing conditions
and utilisation of various
March-April 2019
additives for the formulation
of protein-rich beverages
requires rigorous efforts at
research and production
levels for optimising protein
functionality in tailored
protein beverages. The
major driver of success in
the development of protein
beverages is to find the
sweet spot which should
be fine-tuned in terms of
product characteristics,
nutritive value and techno-
economic feasibility to
satisfy consumer needs.
Email:
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