FPPI NEWS
OVERCOMING TASTE AND
TEXTURE CHALLENGES IN
HIGH-PROTEIN SNACKS
BY JACK HELM, ACCOUNT MANAGER –
BEVERAGE, BAKERY & FUNCTIONAL SNACKS
ACI GROUP
Protein has never been more popular.

Not only is consumer demand
rising across demographics, but a
legislative push towards healthier
snacks has manufacturers looking for
ways to incorporate this high-impact
functional ingredient into their snack
portfolios. It appeals to a broad range
of demographics, from Gen Alpha to
Boomers, and from gamers to sports
enthusiasts looking for a performance-
boosting, health-supporting snack they
can pick up and eat on the go.

The opportunities this presents are
massive but so are the challenges. To
maximise the potential of this growing
market, manufacturers must ensure
their products meet more than just the
functional requirements of consumers
– they must meet the required taste and
texture quality standards, too.

The Power of Protein
It’s easy to see why protein is so popular.

In a market that can often fall victim
to confusing health claims, protein’s
benefits are easy for companies to
explain and simple for consumers to
understand. It also provides a feeling
of fullness that can help people control
hunger cravings when trying to lose
weight or gain lean muscle.

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NEWS
As a result, today’s consumers
recognise the importance of key
nutrients, with four in ten actively
purchasing food that they link to better
immune health. If these time-poor
shoppers can get those nutrients in a
convenient grab-and-go snack bar or
beverage, without having to cook up a
batch of egg whites and steak every day,
then that’s even better.

In addition, protein can help snack
brands maintain their market share
despite the upcoming junk food
advertising ban, which will prohibit paid
advertisements of in-scope products
from being shown on television before
the 9pm watershed, and from being
shown online at any point. This system
scores food products based on their
energy, salt, fat and sugar content,
then subtracts points based on fruit,
veg, nuts, fibre and protein content. If a
food product from one of the 13 target
categories scores 4 points or more, or
a beverage scores one point or more,
it will be classed as ‘less healthy’
and considered in-scope for the ban.

In other words, adding protein to a
formulation could be the difference
between being classed as a ‘junk food’
and escaping the advertising ban.

The growing protein trend also
serves consumers with dietary needs.

Now, there is no reason why a vegan
can’t enjoy the same protein intake as
a meat and dairy eater thanks to an
ever-growing market full of protein-rich
foods – including meat alternatives,
plant-based protein shakes, and more.

These products now offer a huge variety
of sensory experiences, with different
tastes and aromas all available to
delight consumers.

A Buffet of Protein Options
Arguably, the most important feature
of a snack product in the current
market is texture. It’s one of the
strongest drivers of rejection in a
food item, especially in the modern
market, where consumers often look
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for a hit of indulgence in their bite-size
snacks. This means manufacturers
must consider their options carefully
when sourcing high-protein additives
for healthy snack formulations.

Fortunately, one of the benefits of
protein as a functional ingredient is that
there is no shortage of options available
when creating different textures for
different applications. However, these
ingredients should be considered as
part of an end-to-end product design
process, one that adds value to the
finished product.

Not every protein is created equal. Soy
and pea protein, for example, can offer
very different taste and mouthfeel profiles
to create complementary or contrasting
sensory experiences. Pea protein is
commonly used as a powder, which can be
extruded to create a fibre-like structure
that mimics the chewy bite of meat while
remaining taste neutral. It is also highly
soluble and can also be dispersed into
liquids to achieve the desired level of
viscosity during production.

Soy protein, on the other hand,
is available in a number of formats
including crispies, nuggets, flakes
and powders, each one with its own
applications in snack bars. This
presents a wide range of options for
exploring different textures, from a
satisfying crunch to an indulgent chew.

This presents an all-or-nothing
opportunity for manufacturers. Getting
it right can deliver an experience
that will have consumers returning
to purchase a product again and
again. Getting it wrong will result in a
product with a substandard mouthfeel,
potentially putting off consumers for
good. While health claims such as ‘high
in protein’ may be hugely influential in
consumers’ purchasing decision, it’s not
always the wisest decision to load up
recipes with the highest concentration
of protein powder they can find.

Incorporating Protein From the Ground Up
This is because it’s vital to consider how protein ingredients interact with other
important functional additives such as emulsifiers and hydrocolloids. Some
formats of soy protein can act as natural emulsifiers themselves, limiting the
requirements to include common ingredients like lecithin and xanthan gum. It
means that simply ‘adding protein’ to existing products should be off the table to
any manufacturer that is serious about solving the taste and texture challenges
of functional snacks. Instead, they should work with supply chain partners
and experts to rethink their recipes from the ground up, taking a more holistic
look at how to create products that balance health benefits with an indulgent
snacking experience.

This approach will also enable manufacturers to tailor the concentration of
protein, supporting differentiation by enabling the creation of subtly different
sensory experiences that also unlock several protein content-related health
claims. As an example, our portfolio includes products like SUPRO® soy protein
isolate powder, which offers 90% protein content. It can be used to create a
softer texture in bars that lasts throughout their shelf life. However, those
looking to create a product with a crispier texture may benefit from using
TRUPRO® pea protein crisps, which contain between 55-70% protein.

As high-protein snacks play a crucial role in delivering on consumer demands
for healthy, indulgent foods, it’s never been more important for manufacturers
to work with ingredient suppliers with a wide range of high-quality ingredients.

This ensures that they will always have a huge variety of options available to
develop high-protein products without compromising on taste or texture.

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