In the past year, due to the epidemic, the global dairy industry has undergone significant changes. In 2021, the innovation of the dairy ingredients industry will focus on plant-based, emotional dairy products and ingredients, and laboratory-made black-tech dairy products.

Plant protein + animal protein is the best choice!

Plant-based milk replacers have become a trend in dairy product innovation, but do consumers really need pure plant alternatives? the answer is negative. A survey by Innova shows that 36% of consumers prefer mixed foods of plant and animal origin, 22% of consumers prefer foods of complete animal origin, and 23% of consumers prefer foods of complete plant origin.

Both animal protein and plant protein have their own advantages and disadvantages. Animal protein has more comprehensive nutrients and a more reasonable ratio of amino acids, and has better taste and flavor; while plant protein is friendly to the environment and animals, and does not contain cholesterol and saturated fat. There are many special functional ingredients, such as soy isoflavones with estrogen-like effects, plant sterols with hypolipidemic effects, and polyphenolic antioxidants with anti-aging effects. According to a survey by kerry, 55% of the plant-based product consumers are free-drinkers, and the other 45% are flexible vegetarians and vegans and people with restricted allergy. Therefore, most of the plant-based products Basic consumers will also consume animal-derived foods, so the combination of plant protein and animal protein can achieve a balance between taste and nutrition, and is better recognized by consumers.

Live Real Farms is a new brand developed by Dairy Farmers of the United States. The company combines 50% milk and 50% oats, almonds and other plant-based raw materials to make a variety of flavored mixed drinks, each serving can provide 5 grams of protein, with calories ranging from 70 to 140 calories. The drink comes in five flavors: milk and almond sugar-free flavor, milk and almond sugar-free vanilla flavor, milk and almond sugar-flavored vanilla flavor, milk and almond chocolate flavor, milk and oatmeal flavor.

Up and Go’s banana & honey flavored breakfast milk mixes skimmed milk and soy protein isolate, and adds plant materials such as oats and bananas, as well as vitamins, fiber and minerals, to combine comprehensive nutrition and delicious taste.

Relieving stress and helping sleep is a new outlet for new functional dairy products

The new crown epidemic has made consumers pay more attention to the improvement of immunity and the relief of emotions. According to Global Data's global consumer survey in the third quarter of 2019, 74% of consumers are worried or very worried about stress and anxiety, and many consumers are looking for products related to emotion management and improving sleep quality.

According to statistics, the commercial scale of the global sleep economy has reached more than one trillion yuan, of which the size of the sleep health industry in the United States has reached US$30 billion to US$40 billion, and is growing at an annual rate of 8%. In China, it is expected to reach 2020 The annual industrial scale of the sleep market will exceed 400 billion yuan. It is expected that sleep aids and other emotional dairy products will become the new outlets of the industry in the next two to three years. In this field, GABA, L-theanine, jujube seed, Poria, as well as floral ingredients such as chamomile and lavender will become the core raw materials.

Mengniu's "Good Evening" chamomile flavored milk drink adds gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), tuckahoe powder, wild jujube seed powder and other medicinal and edible raw materials.

Wahaha's white peach flavored sleep yogurt is added with gamma-aminobutyric acid, theanine, jujube seed and other sleep aid ingredients.

Will dairy-source stress-relieving ingredients become a trend?

In addition to adding other emotional functional raw materials, dairy products themselves also contain a variety of raw materials related to brain health and emotions, and major dairy companies and ingredient companies are also actively researching and developing in this field.

(1) Fonterra last year launched a whey protein concentrate ingredient milk phospholipids70 derived from milk phospholipids, non-GMO, no rBST hormone, and passed Halal and Kosher certifications. Milk phospholipids are naturally present in milk and are part of the milk fat globule membrane. They are complex lipids that have been clinically proven to have a variety of health benefits. They have the functions of stress management, maintaining focus and positive emotions.

(2) Friesland Campina Ingredients also launched Biotis GOS, an ingredient with emotional management effects. Galactooligosaccharide (GOS) is a prebiotic derived from milk that can stimulate the growth of beneficial intestinal flora and help consumers reduce stress and anxiety.

(3) Lactium® launched by Ingredia is a milk protein hydrolysate that contains a unique biologically active decapeptide, also known as α-casozepine, which does not cause any side effects and can be used by both adults and children. Its effect of soothing and relaxing emotions has been proven in more than 450 healthy volunteers through 9 clinical studies.

(4) The β-lactolin ingredients derived from dairy products developed by Kylin in Japan will be put into a series of products such as beverages, yogurt and supplements from April. The declared function is to "maintain memory and reduce memory decline with age." It can directly enhance cognitive function by increasing the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Black technology! Milk produced in the laboratory

Plant-based is a sustainable and reliable alternative milk solution, but alternative milk lacks the sensory and nutritional properties like real milk, so how to solve this problem? Scientists have created a method that does not require the use of real animals and can produce animal milk in a laboratory.

The Israeli start-up company Remilk uses a unique patented process of precision fermentation to replicate the characteristics of animal dairy protein without affecting the taste, function and nutritional value. Using this process can also effectively reduce the negative impact on the environment, and the use of laboratory-made dairy products can also eliminate cholesterol, lactose and their possible negative effects, thereby completely improving the defects of traditional dairy products. Another company, Perfect Day, has also developed a method to produce milk proteins (including casein and whey) by fermentation from Trichoderma fungi in a bioreactor.

Perfect Day’s Brave Robot brand ice cream uses fermented milk protein.

In addition to fermentation, milk can also be produced through cells. TurtleTree Labs, a Singapore-based start-up company, has developed a technology that can produce pure milk from the cells of any mammal without using animals. This opens the door to the production of safer, healthier and customized dairy products using fewer natural resources.

TurtleTree's proprietary technology uses breast cells to produce real whole milk in clean food production facilities. The final product is exactly the same as breast milk and milk, and has the same functions. This technology will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the existing milk powder industry.

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