The future of protein, reimagined.
Valio launches a new product segment to change how we perceive protein-enriched products. The new milk protein concentrate, Valio Eila® MPC 65 enables manufacturers to create better-tasting and healthy, high-protein products to meet the global market needs.
The best-tasting protein enrichment – Valio Eila® MPC 65
In the active lifestyle market where taste is as important as great nutritional values, high-protein products are not usually the winners. The texture is often sandy, and the flavour is not quite right. This is the problem we have fixed with Valio Eila® MPC 65.
“Consumers leading an active lifestyle want excellent nutritional value without compromising on the taste. We needed a product that has all the benefits of milk’s natural whey and casein proteins and amino acids, and none of the taste and texture problems usually associated with high-protein powders. And that’s exactly what we’ve created”, says Sinikka Saikkonen, Business Development Manager at Valio.
“In true Valio style we decided to make the best product possible. Our product development guideline is that if we can’t make it the best-tasting product out there, we won’t do it”, adds Jarna Tanskanen, Business Manager at Valio.
Consumers loved the delicious high-protein products
To ensure that the flavour and texture of end products created with Valio Eila® MPC 65 actually meet consumer needs, we conducted a consumer test in Germany with a group of 110 people. Our prototype, a high-protein UHT ready-to-drink (RTD) product was the clear winner of the taste test.
The consumers liked the thicker texture of the drink and gave its appearance, taste, and texture a high score. Nearly 70% of consumers agreed that Valio’s RTD prototype had the ideal blend of flavour and sweetness. Consumers also liked the fact that you can get as much as 30 grams of protein from a 250 ml drink without compromising on the taste or texture.
“When we offered samples of the RTD prototype at Growth Asia Summit and Vitafoods Asia in September 2023, people were visibly amazed by the flavour and texture. They couldn’t believe it’s a protein-enriched drink and not a regular chocolate shake”, says Meri Härmälä, International B2B Marketing Manager at Valio.
Diversify your protein product portfolio with dairy that suits everyone
We have designed our new protein product portfolio specifically for manufacturers that are looking for ways to meet the growing consumer demand for high-protein, lactose free and great-tasting snacking products.
“When you use Valio Eila® MPC 65, you don’t need to add anything extra to hide its flavour. This also helps keep the ingredient list short, which is exactly what consumers are looking for”, Tanskanen explains.
With Valio Eila® MPC 65, you can diversify your protein product portfolio for example with UHT products such as RTD beverages and shakes. It can also be used for fermented products such as spoonable and drinkable yogurts, and neutral products like puddings, desserts or even ice cream. The applications are endless.
“Using Valio Eila® MPC 65 you can easily streamline your production process because it doesn’t require additional steps, such as filtration, concentration or hydrolysation that are usually related to higher protein and lower lactose contents”, Saikkonen points out.
