2016 Protein Trends & Technologies Seminar

Originally Published: August 12, 2016
Last Updated: February 4, 2021

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The 4th annual Protein Trends & Technologies Seminar was held May 3-4 in Oak Brook, Ill., USA.

The May 3rd, 2016 Protein Seminar Pre-conference Program: Protein Business Strategies focused on fundamental and ever-changing factors impacting the global protein ingredient market. The information is crucial for anyone guiding their protein ingredient business or for those where the protein ingredient marketplace has significant impact on their business.

The May 4th, 2016 Protein Seminar Technical Program: Formulating with Proteins focused on providing R&D and application food scientists with practical, non-commercial advice on how to work with protein ingredients in a range of foods, beverages and nutritional. This day included the ever-popular New Protein Product Sampling Station.

GENERAL SESSION SPEAKERS

2016 PROTEIN TRENDS & TECHNOLOGIES SEMINAR
PRE-CONFERENCE PROGRAM: BUSINESS STRATEGIES

  • Capitalizing on the Next Generation of Protein Opportunities; Sustaining the Rush

Speaker: Elizabeth Sloan, Ph.D., President, Sloan Trends, Inc.

Despite a “been there, done that” attitude on the part of some CPG companies in the U.S., the opportunities for protein are far from passé. A resurgent interest in food fortification and a new move to fresh/refrigerated fortification; the mainstreaming of the $31 billion sports nutrition market; a shift in the drivers of the weight loss industry; the 50+ consumers who are restructuring entire food categories; and skyrocketing interest in kid-specific healthy foods are only a handful of U.S. markets poised for protein’s attention. This presentation takes you on a data-driven fast-paced dive to identify market voids and make recommendations for future success in the protein-related foods and supplements.

  • Perspectives on Investments & Acquisitions in the Protein Supply and Finished Products Industry

Speaker: Matthew Roberts, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, NBTY, Inc. and Screening Committee Member, Nutrition Capital Network

Consumers desire for increased protein consumption through formats from nutrition bars and beverages to sports products has encouraged much of the recent M&A and private investment activity in the dietary supplement and functional foods sectors. Additionally, the volatility of raw material prices and interest in sustainability have led to diversification of the protein marketplace from whey and soy to many forms of plant-based proteins. Industry changes offer opportunities for investors in foods, supplements, ingredients, biotech and acquirers in F&B, ingredients and pharma. This presentation offers insights into recent M&A and investment activities among “protein-centric” companies with a look at what it may mean for continued industry growth.

  • Managing the Dairy Protein Markets: Forces to Watch in the Coming Years

Speaker: Duane Banderob, MSc, Chief Operating Officer, Dairy.com and leader, consulting and market intelligence services, Blimling and Associates

Dairy proteins continue to grow in both popularity and use due to unique and now preferred nutritional and performance attributes. However, compared to more common plant proteins, operating in the day-to-day dairy markets introduces unique challenges on its own. Factors such as the sheer physical process to extract whey protein from milk (and what to do with the casein) and the investments required to do so complicate the supply-chain. Then there are geo-political influences (Russia, China, the EU) that matter, not to mention the weather in New Zealand that all combine to create a dairy market with plenty of ups and downs. Join us for this dive deep as the market challenges of milk and whey protein are explored, including a look at the key forces that influence price, what’s ahead for the category.

  • What’s for Dinner? Behaviors, Products, and Services Creating the New Future of Food

Speaker: Justin Shimek, Ph.D., CEO and Chief Technology Officer, Mattson

It is well understood that the days are long past since most foods were prepared by stay-at-home wives preparing meals from scratch. One result has been that food manufacturers increasingly provided pre-packaged foods through traditional grocery stores to consumers. Once again, there’s a seismic shift in how consumers acquire foods. Although retail outlets will continue to be key sources of food, consumers are obtaining food in ways never imagined a decade ago and innovative food purveyors are responding. What does this mean for the industry and even yourself?

  • Global Perspectives: An Overview of the Global Protein Landscape

Speaker: Chris Schmidt, Senior Consumer Health Analyst, Euromonitor International

Riding a global wave of consumer interest, protein remains one of the hottest ingredients of the day. An anchor of the sports nutrition category, protein’s evolving public profile is helping it crash other categories and greatly expand its demographic appeal. Drawing on Euromonitor International’s Passport system, Senior Consumer Health Analyst Chris Schmidt will delve into the market and consumer drivers underlying protein’s rapid rise in the global sports nutrition, weight management and dietary supplements categories.

  • High on Protein: Insights into a Consumer Search for Health

Speaker: Andrew Mandzy, MBA, Director of Strategic Insights, Nielsen

As consumer behaviors and attitudes toward health and wellness continue to shift, many consumers are seeking alternative sources of protein either in addition to, or in place of meat. From health bars and Greek yogurt to sports drinks, we’ll cover how these products are performing, who is buying them, how these trends are impacting the meat case, and how you can capitalize on the growing consumer interest in protein beyond the meat case.

  • Future Signals: Identifying Behavioral, Marketplace, and Technology Trends

Speaker: Mike Lee, MBA, CEO and Founder, Studio IndustriesSpecial Session graphic

Guided frameworks will be used to help audience members improve their food innovation efforts today by thinking more aggressively about the future of food. The approach not only challenges food innovators to think far ahead, but also focuses on bringing back future scenarios to answer the question, “What do I do about this idea today?” In this lightly interactive workshop, attendees will learn to forecast future customer needs, extrapolate today’s disruptive food trends, and establish a foundation for deeper strategic planning at their company. Business leaders will be helped to examine and extrapolate where the food industry could be in the next 10/20/50 years.

2016 PROTEIN TRENDS & INGREDIENT TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR
TECHNICAL PROGRAM: FORMULATING WITH PROTEINS

  • Consumer Market Opportunities in Protein

Speaker: ‎David Sprinkle, MBA, Research Director, Packaged Facts

This presentation charts the evolving views of the American consumer on protein, as evident in nutritional attitudes, food purchasing behavior, food and beverage product innovations at retail, and menu trends. Packaged Facts research data show that 70% of consumers prefer protein from animal sources, but over 30% are eating more meatless meals, and plant proteins are increasingly prominent in the marketplace. With the retail and foodservice arenas under pressure to adopt a more progressive role in relation to public health and environmental sustainability, this discussion hones in on the key meat and plant protein trends reshaping the food industry.

  • Unlocking the Potential of Alternative Proteins for Use in New Applications

Speaker: ‎Laurice Pouvreau, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, NIZO food research

The world demand for protein is expected to increase due to population growth. The use of alternative proteins in food application is crucial to meeting demand. However, plant proteins are still used in limited food applications due to their low solubility, lack of functional properties, and their off-flavor and taste. This presentation focuses on the functional properties of plant proteins and the importance of mild processing to obtain ingredients with the potential to replace animal-derived proteins. Protein blends will be considered as a means to enable use of plant proteins in existing products.

  • Making a Claim: Factors impacting Protein Quality and a New Way for Measuring

Speaker: David Plank, Senior Technical Manager, Medallion Labs

In marketing protein products, manufacturers must first quantify the amount of quality protein to satisfy labeling requirements. The current standard for measuring protein quality is a rat digestibility model used in combination with amino acid analysis known as the PDCAAS method. This expensive, time consuming method can result in delayed product development timelines and protein over-fortification. Animal testing is also counter to many brands supporting environmental consciousness. This presentation reviews regulatory requirements for making a protein claim, processing factors impacting protein quality and research on a new, non-animal PDCAAS method which correlates well to the rat PDCAAS method.

  • Flavors & Proteins – Understanding Component Interactions & the Impact of Processing

Speaker: MaryAnne Drake, Ph.D., Sensory Analysis and Flavor Chemistry, North Carolina State University

High protein products such as bars, beverages, dairy products, among many others, have a reputation for being healthful but also possessing a high price and not necessarily a great flavor. Protein addition can create sensory problems such as bitterness and astringency that reduce consumer appeal. Additionally, simply adding flavors can be more expensive than needed when component interactions are not well understood. This presentation will improve the likelihood of a product’s success by suggesting tools and tactics in working with flavors. Flavor chemistry, sensory physiology, other formula components and processing all play a role.

  • Protein Supplementation and Athlete Performance

Speaker: Jay Hoffman, Ph.D., FACSM, FNSCA, Dir. Institute of Exercise Physiology and Wellness, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Educational and Human Sciences, University of Central Florida

To maximize athlete performance and enhance recovery, the competitive athlete needs to ensure adequate energy and protein consumption. Differences in protein requirements for athletes and non-athletes, and different types of athletes are well acknowledged. Athletes use protein supplements to achieve the recommended protein intakes, and often exceed the recommended amounts. Recently, a number of studies have focused on whether the timing of protein ingestion, as it relates to a workout, enhances protein synthesis and muscle recovery. This lecture will focus on protein requirements for athletes, and whether protein timing provides any advantage on affecting performance gains and recovery.

  • Formulating Protein Beverage: Real World Challenges and Tactical Solution

Speaker: Justin Cline, Beverage Scientist, Imbibe

Formulating with protein adds layers of complexity when developing new products, especially in large scale production conditions. Although protein adds numerous benefits, such as an enhanced nutritional profile, increased viscosity and improved mouthfeel, poorly executed formulations result in wasted time, lost revenue and an inferior product. This presentation focuses on tactical solutions to real world problems in order to avoid setbacks during development and scale-up. Attendees will improve their understanding of protein chemistry, functionality and stability, as well as gain useful knowledge of the various chemical and physical changes protein may undergo as a result of processing conditions. Actual case studies will be discussed in order to illustrate the key concepts.

  • From Gluten-free to Whole Grain: Formulating On-trend Products

Speaker: Heather Maskus, MSc, Project Manager, Pulse Flour Milling and Food Applications, Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute)

Great emphasis is placed on food developers to address the many needs of consumers from gluten-free product applications to whole-grain alternatives of our favorite foods. As we strive to meet the needs of consumers, many challenges arise. Replacing gluten structures for non-gluten alternatives presents its own challenges while boosting protein content in products requires its own tool kit to create a successful product. This presentation will focus on the use of novel ingredients such as whole grains and pulse flours to help assist in meeting new product trends in breakfast cereals, pasta, extruded snacks, instant noodles as well as several gluten free products.

  • Update on GMO Labeling: Where do We Stand, Where are We Headed?

Speaker: Chip English, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

GMO labeling issues involve the role of government, science, industry and consumers in determining whether and how our food should be labeled when produced using biotechnology. These interests do not agree on definitions, who decides and even what labeling should or should not be permitted. Add politics, state and federal legislation (mandating, preempting or making any labeling voluntary), and active court cases and uncertainty reigns. With Vermont’s July 1 deadline for compliance with its mandatory GMO labeling law looming, what will or could happen and how do businesses respond? This presentation will provide an up-to-date analysis of where we are and may be going.