Why are milk minerals so good for us?

Today, 58% of European consumers express the desire to improve their eating habits to protect their health [1]. This trend marks a move towards food choices that are not only tasty, but also more natural and beneficial to health.

Faced with this growing demand, food companies must rethink the way they develop their products. At the same time, increasingly stringent regulations impose rigorous standards on safety and transparency.

To meet this twofold challenge, companies need to adapt and reinvent their production processes, while taking into account their internal constraints. Innovation and regulatory compliance are therefore becoming key factors in meeting consumer expectations and guaranteeing product quality.

At Armor Protéines, we work to develop solutions that enable food industry players to adapt to production constraints and consumer trends. The functionalities of the milk mineral concentrates from our Vitalarmor® Ca M10 provide an alternative that combines greater naturalness while respecting production processes.

How can companies adapt?

External and internal constraints to be taken into account when improving processes [2]

In this changing context, companies know they have to adapt to consumer trends as well as to regulatory requirements. This dual challenge must be met without neglecting process constraints and product safety.

Powder fluidity has a major effect on process constraints for two reasons:

• The formation of clods or lumps on the production line makes powder flow difficult. Maintaining the fluidity of powder is therefore essential in order to limit the loss of time and product;
• Particle agglomeration in powder products can occur over the long term due to humidity or pressure. Lack of homogeneity, combined with handling difficulties, can also lead to product loss and have a negative impact on consumer perception of the product.

What solutions can meet the constraints of agri-food companies?

Faced with these constraints, agri-food companies have to find alternatives in order to meet the requirements mentioned above, while avoiding the use of additives, which are controversial for their impact on health and their artificiality. In the EU, this approach is well underway: between 2006 and 2016, the use of additive-free products rose from 13.7% to 18.3% [3]. Milk minerals offer a long-lasting solution that also meets all of the above constraints.

Vitalarmor® Ca M10 solution

Aware of all these issues, we offer Vitalarmor® Ca M10, for its functional anti-caking and anti-agglomerating properties.

First of all, Vitalarmor® Ca M10 is an alternative to common anti-caking additives (E341: calcium phosphate, E551: silicon dioxide, E504: magnesium carbonate). It prevents particles from agglomerating and forming lumps in powdered products, which has benefits in terms of storage space, transport and, finally, for consumer use.

Furthermore, an in-house study has shown that the fluidity of sweet whey is multiplied by 1.9 when 1% Vitalarmor® Ca M10 is added, making it an excellent anti-caking agent. This feature is particularly useful for cold mixing and powder packaging.

This solution therefore promotes greater productivity, longer shelf life for food products and, last but not least, is perfectly aligned with the Clean Label approach.

While production challenges require the use of ingredients with specific properties, manufacturers must also meet the dual demands of consumer expectations and regulations. With Vitalarmor® Ca M10 and its anti-caking, anti-agglomerating properties, Armor Protéines provides a solution to these challenges.

[1] Euromoniteur international, From Trend to Law: Healthier Snacking in Western Europe, 2022

[2] R. Hazlett, Approaches for improving the flowability of high-protein dairy powders post spray drying, 2020

[3] ANSES, Changes in the use of food additives in processed products, 2019