Arla Foods Ingredients Unveils 'Best-Tasting' Hydrolysate to Solve Medical Nutrition Compliance

Arla Foods Ingredients has announced a technical breakthrough in the medical nutrition category with the launch of Lacprodan® DI-3092. The new whey protein hydrolysate is engineered to overcome the persistent sensory challenges associated with peptide-based feeds, offering a significantly improved taste profile to boost patient compliance.

The ingredient is designed for patients with impaired gastrointestinal function or nutrient absorption, who typically require "pre-digested" proteins. Historically, these hydrolysates are characterised by an intense bitterness, a factor often cited as a primary cause for patients failing to complete prescribed nutrition plans.

Breaking the Concentration Barrier

Beyond taste modulation, Lacprodan® DI-3092 offers a step-change in nutritional density. The ingredient allows manufacturers to pack 10g of high-quality single-source protein into 100ml of liquid.

This concentration is significantly higher than the current market standard, which typically tops out at 6-7g per 100ml for comparable hydrolysed products.

Key Technical Specifications:

Hydrolysis Degree: High (16-22%).
Protein Load: Enables 10g/100ml formulation.
Lactose: Low lactose content.
Processing: UHT-stable, suitable for both direct and indirect heat treatment.

Addressing Patient Compliance

The launch directly targets the "compliance gap" in medical care. Arla cites studies indicating that up to half of patients prescribed medical nutrition plans do not complete them, often due to unappealing taste and texture.

Mads Dyrvig, Head of Sales Development, Specialised Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, commented on the triple-threat challenge the product addresses:

“Whey protein hydrolysates are essential for peptide-based medical nutrition but there are three key challenges in the category. The first is to improve taste and texture, which is important to ensure patient compliance. The second is to go higher in protein, and the third is to do that using a high-quality protein source. Lacprodan® DI-3092 – our best-tasting whey protein hydrolysate yet – overcomes all three challenges.”

Commercial Applications

To demonstrate the ingredient's versatility, Arla Foods Ingredients has developed two prototypes for manufacturers: a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage and a ready-to-mix powder. Both concepts deliver 200Kcal and 10g protein per 100ml, showcasing the ingredient's ability to maintain low viscosity and a mild taste profile even at high concentrations.