Interview: Taste an increasingly important factor for Volac

The taste of protein products is becoming an increasingly important factor for the growing number of active consumers, according to Volac’s head of marketing Mel Billows, who spoke with FoodBev’s Alex Clere at Health Ingredients Europe 2018.

Billows emphasised that protein products were no longer targeted and consumed specifically by performance consumers, with active consumers seeking high-protein, low-sugar solutions which don’t compromise on taste.

“Consumers want protein in normal, everyday foods. They want to find it in mainstream places like supermarkets, they don’t want to be looking online for it like performance consumers would… so it’s about making protein taste great in order to get that repeat purchase and satisfy a growing need from these active consumers.”

To meet the demands of these consumers, Volac showcased two solutions at this year’s HiE, Volactive Ultrawhey Velicious and ProCrisp Dark, and Volac’s business development manager Alan Johnstone talked about the benefits of both solutions with FoodBev.

Johnstone explained that Volactive Ultrawhey Velicious has a range of benefits, including the fact that it is heat stable, meaning that it can be mixed in boiling water or baked, allowing a wide range of applications.

Meanwhile, ProCrisp Dark is the latest addition to Volac’s ProCrisp range, which uses cocoa powder to create dark crispies for use in protein bars, in order to create a contrast of colours inside bars and add a crunch to provide a variety of mouthfeel in soft bars.