According to recent estimates, the weight loss industry is worth more than $65 billion today. That impressive valuation comes even before you consider the many adjacent sectors, such as food products designed to act as dieting aids.

With obesity on the rise across virtually all age groups and the continued popularity of various fad diets, food formulators face a considerable need to respond to these market pressures. There is an extraordinary demand for foods that may aid in managing weight and nutrition.

How do you formulate products to meet these unique needs? The answer lies in protein, and specifically, milk protein powders. At Idaho Milk Products, we have years of experience in the production of high-quality, cutting-edge protein products ideal for many industry sectors. What makes protein enrichment the right choice for targeting the shelves full of weight loss foodstuffs, and how do you develop an effective formulation?

Why Protein-Rich Products Are Ideal for This Market Segment

Supplemental protein is popular among athletes because it helps to build muscle, but why does consuming some additional protein help contribute to weight loss? It doesn’t have to do with a direct nutritional effect; that is, protein consumption doesn’t necessarily trigger weight loss, which typically only occurs effectively when an individual reaches a caloric deficit each day. Instead, proteins make us feel “full” — that is, they trigger feelings of satiety that reduce the desire to continue eating.

By adding additional protein into the diet at different points during the day, such as with a small low-calorie snack, it is possible to “trick” the brain into feeling satisfied for more extended periods. As a result, it is much easier to maintain the caloric deficit needed to trigger weight loss.

Which Proteins Generate the Best Results?

Is there a particular type of protein that’s most effective at triggering the satiation response? Yes — research shows that milk proteins are especially adept at this due to the unique nature of the casein protein micelles they contain. Using milk protein powders that contain a natural ratio of whey and micellar casein proteins is an easy way to formulate products that may trigger these feelings of satiety because milk proteins are particularly bioavailable to the digestive system. Only soy protein comes close to the same level of bioavailability, but it lacks some of the other benefits you will find in milk.

Milk proteins have an added surprise bound up inside of micellar casein: they’re rich in calcium. Because the body can more easily absorb and break down micellar casein, that means the calcium locked inside it is also highly bioavailable. When running a caloric deficit, the additional calcium in the bloodstream may encourage the body to burn more fat — up to 22% more when compared to individuals who did not supplement their diet with milk proteins.

Dieters can’t merely rely on drinking milk to achieve these results, however. First, liquid milk has many additional components and a higher caloric content than the isolated protein. Second, you would have to consume a considerable amount of milk to get the same benefits. As a result, consumers will look to products enriched with wholesome sources of protein, rather than reaching for the milk jug when they go on a diet.

Selecting the Right Protein Additive for Your Formulation

The versatility of milk proteins, and their role in increasing feelings of satiety, make it clear they’re well-suited for use in product formulations targeting dieters. However, you will need to choose a quality source of that protein to have any chance of success. At Idaho Milk Products, we’ve invested heavily in advanced low-heat ultrafiltration equipment to produce extensive quantities of very pure protein powders.

Our regular or low lactose IdaPro® MPC-85 is ideal for the weight loss market segment. Produced only from farm-fresh skim milk delivered daily to our facilities before pasteurization and ultrafiltration, MPC-85 contains 85% protein in its dry form. The result is a powder that blends smoothly into product formulations and provides the rich protein content you require without adding unpleasant flavor notes. Instead, consumers often describe the flavor notes as “clean” and slightly sweet — an ideal outcome.

For highly specific and unique formulations, our IdaPro® Custom solution is the best choice. Work directly with our team of food scientists and formulators to develop the protein ratio ideal for the products you have in mind. Protein-rich foods have an unfortunate reputation for flavor and texture due to improper formulations and lower-quality additives used in the past. With Idaho Milk Products, you can produce something everyone will enjoy consuming — even if they aren’t on a diet.

Learn more about the potential to capture some market share in the weight loss arena and explore what milk protein concentrates could do for your business. Contact our team today for further details.