Ingredients in Focus: Pea protein for sports nutrition | Food Dive

Ingredion’s new innovation, Vitessence Pea 200 D, in the category is targeting the sports beverage space.

Ingredients in Focus is Food Dive’s bite-size column highlighting interesting developments in the ingredients sector.

As Ingredion seeks to expand its pea protein product line, the company is focusing on consumer insights to mainly drive strategy, said Tara Kozlowich, Ingredion’s director of global strategic marketing and plant-based proteins, in an interview with Food Dive.

Last week the ingredient solutions provider debuted a new pea protein, Vitessence Pea 200 D which is aimed to help manufacturers overcome barriers in the nutritional beverage market.

Vitessence Pea 200 D “brings improved dispersibility to applications where higher solubility is essential to building a smooth and creamy mouthfeel,” it said.

The ingredient has a neutral flavor profile, offering versatility and minimizing the need for maskers.

“What makes this pea protein unique is that it is really tailored to the nutritional beverage space,” said Kozlowich.

The new pea protein promises improved solubility and viscosity.

“Once dispersed, the protein really stays in liquid, rather than because of that solubility, right, which is important to prevent sedimentation with the liquid as a powder,” said Kozlowich.

Ingredion’s research and development team was able to compare it to other similar proteins on the market, and found that consumers resonated with the focus on an improved texture.

At the beginning of 2024, Ingredion went through a restructuring to reflect its focus on improved texture across its profile. The renewed focus on texture and healthful solutions was designed to follow a consumer trend — especially within the plant-based space — for items with whole ingredients that still emulate a non-plant-based structure.

The pea protein market has surged in growth in recent years as consumers seek better-for-you options while looking to increase protein content in everyday foods and drinks.

The demand for the ingredient is forecast to reach $50.8 billion by 2034, according to a new study from Fact.Mr.

From a viscosity standpoint, said Kozlowich, the company believes it has achieved a product that isn't too thick and can easily be applied in food products such as protein smoothies and shakes.

“The neutral taste is really important, because it offers a blank slate for formulators to offer different flavors to consumers,” said Kozlowich. “Typically, with plant protein, you sometimes get those more vegetal notes and bitter sort of taste.”

Within the plant-based protein space, pea proteins in particular are driving the market.

Kozlowich shared that this is because of a few reasons — it’s a commonly recognized ingredient which makes it consumer and label friendly, “it also from a sustainability standpoint requires less resources and it’s nitrogen fixing which is very helpful when you’re growing crops,” said Kozlowich.