Arla has moved into soft drinks with a pair of high-protein flavoured waters aimed at the food-to-go market.
Arla Protein Water is set to roll out officially next month, having gone on sale for a limited run at Fultons Foods stores across the Midlands and north of England in February. The range was also trialled in Nisa stores late last year, The Grocer understands.
Available in lemon & lime and strawberry & raspberry variants, Arla Protein Water was designed to tap into the growing trend of high-protein drinks, said a spokeswoman. The new “on-the-go milk-based beverages” will take on brands such as Vieve and For Goodness Shakes, which both already offer a range of protein-fortified waters.
Coming in at 20g of protein per 500ml bottle, Arla’s new RTDs serve up to 40% of an adult’s NHS-recommended daily intake and contain 80 calories. The fat-free SKUs feature branding in line with the rest of the Arla Protein range.
The launch comes five years after the dairy co-op’s ingredients division first unveiled its hydrolysed whey protein Lacprodan at the Food Ingredients Europe exhibition in 2013. It rolled out Lacprodan HYDRO.clear, developed specifically for clear beverages, in 2017.
The neutral-tasting ingredient contains a minimum of 85% protein and can be ultra-heat treated to give it a clear water-like appearance, avoiding problems often encountered by protein drink manufacturers, such as separation, gradual thickening and milky colouring.
“The largely female, on-the-go consumer segment is demanding high-protein RTDs,” said Arla at the time. “Clear protein drinks in transparent bottles are now in the marketplace - but both their quality and the ease of producing for the new category can vary widely.”
Lacprodan has been EFSA approved to bear health claims that include ‘helping to grow and maintain muscle mass’ and ‘the maintenance of healthy bones’.
Arla’s Protein range, launched in 2015, has previously been limited to traditional dairy products including yoghurts, milkshakes and cheeses. In October, the sub-brand expanded into the milk category with a milk fortified with 30% more protein than standard.
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