Originally considered to be a niche, sports nutrition has gained prominence and joined the mainstream with new product development (NPD), which can be used in protein bars, cookies, and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. In recent time, convenient forms of high-protein snacks have witnessed widespread adoption owing to the shifting consumer preference for highly nutritional foods and beverages. Growing scope of application of protein hydrolysate ingredients, specifically for nutrition, in tandem with the shifting consumer interest for specialist nutrition are favoring adoption of protein hydrolysate ingredients, says a new report.
According to a report by the Persistence Market Research (PMR), the proliferating demand for specialty ingredients have led to the development of protein hydrolysate ingredients market which exceeded a value of US$ 1 billion in 2018. The growth was attributed to the emerging trends of consumption of functional foods for weight management and body slimming.
Consumers Seeking Good Taste in Sports Nutrition
Consumers do and will continue to seek convenient sports nutrition products that not just deliver benefits but also taste good. In the ever competitive food industry, companies have to offer protein hydrolysate ingredients that add to the nutritional value of products while not compromising on taste and flavor.
In sports nutrition products, the choice of proteins in supplements does make a huge difference in terms of benefits and taste. As per PMR study on protein hydrolysate ingredients, whey protein has been scoring highly owing to its rapid absorption, nutritional quality, and highly-quality content of essential amino acids. Over time whey protein hydrolysate ingredients have gained immense recognition in sports nutrition as the ultimate form of protein because they escalate post-workout recovery and help build lean muscle at a rapid pace. Whey protein hydrolysate ingredients also offer better endurance, greater muscle protein synthesis and faster recovery, says the PMR report.
Protein Hydrolysate Ingredients Witnessing Demand for Clinical Nutrition and Infant Formula
Whey protein hydrolysates has been considered to enhance nutritional status and liver and gut functions in specific patient groups. They have been witnessing adoption due to their ability to prevent loss of lean body mass during hospitalization, thereby shortening patient stay in hospital. In fact, several researchers have shown the positive role of whey protein hydrolysates in improving blood glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, due to their superior insulinotropic effect than intact proteins.
According to the PMR study, protein hydrolysate ingredients are witnessing increasing adoption in clinical nutrition for lowering the viscosity of sip feeds for elderly and aged people. With the rising aging demographic and their concerns pertaining to balanced diet, protein hydrolysate ingredients have gained much popularity in recent time.
Protein Hydrolysate as Special Nutritional Ingredients Gaining Traction
The adoption of hydrolyzed proteins as special food ingredients started in late 19th century in Europe and Far East. These hydrolyzed proteins were primarily adopted for flavoring purposes then until they gained widespread consumer acceptance. Soon after, a parenteral grade of protein hydrolysate was produced by pancreatic enzyme digestion of casein for and was used for intravenous feeding.
Today, the growing awareness among demographic regarding health and nutrition-related problems has prominently influenced the demand for healthy products, such as protein hydrolysate ingredients. This has been further driven by growing trends of consuming functional foods for body slimming and staying fit.