Leprino Nutrition, the specialty ingredient division of Leprino Foods, is positioning dairy proteins as high-performance functional ingredients for mainstream food and beverage applications, reflecting a shift in the protein market from simply increasing protein content to delivering superior taste, texture, stability, and processing performance. The company unveiled its latest portfolio at IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, highlighting how advanced dairy proteins can help manufacturers meet growing consumer demand for high-protein products without compromising product quality.
Leprino noted that protein is rapidly expanding beyond sports nutrition into everyday foods and beverages, creating opportunities across ready-to-drink beverages, dairy products, snacks, desserts, soups, and convenience foods. However, manufacturers continue to face formulation challenges such as managing viscosity, maintaining heat stability, improving mouthfeel, and supporting clean-label product development while scaling production efficiently.
To address these challenges, the company is promoting specialty dairy ingredients including Micellar Casein Isolate (MCI), MP PRO C80™, and CLEAR PRO 90™, which are designed to enhance emulsification, texture, nutritional value, and product stability across multiple food applications. Leprino also highlighted that micellar casein accounts for nearly 80% of milk’s protein, offering excellent heat stability, neutral flavour, and strong functional performance for next-generation protein formulations.
The development underscores a broader trend in the global dairy ingredients sector, where innovation is increasingly focused on multifunctional proteins that combine nutrition with superior functionality. As consumer demand for high-protein, clean-label, and premium foods continues to rise, advanced dairy proteins are expected to play a growing role in value-added food innovation across global markets. (foodingredientsfirst.com)
Source: Dairynews7x7 5 Aug, 2026 Read full story here
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