Denmark—Looking ahead to the future of the beverage market, supplier Arla Foods Ingredients thinks the next big trend will be high-protein iced teas. The demand for functional beverages is increasing rapidly, the company says, andEuromonitor Internationalprojects the market to reach 819 million in 4 years.

With the antioxidant properties of tea, Arla says the combination can boost nutritional value with the addition of whey protein isolate. Arla Foods Ingredients offers three processing-stableWPI solutions including: Lacprodan ISO.Water, Lacprodan ISO.Clear and Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake.

“Demand for innovative functional beverages is huge and high-protein iced tea is the perfect way to tap into it," said Ulrik Bank Pedersen, General Manager, North America, at Arla Foods Ingredients in a press release. “By offering high-protein iced teas, manufacturers can put a new spin on an established consumer favorite without compromising on taste. And unlike some beverage ingredients, protein doesn’t set alarm bells ringing—in fact it’s likely to increase appeal."

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