Why Choose Food Research Lab's FRL as Your Food Product Development (FPD) Consultant and Partner?

There are several options in almost every product area in today’s market, and the difficulty is in coming up with unique items that stand out and connect with customers. Food Research Lab's Food Research Lab (FRL) takes a holistic approach to creating food and beverage products. We define, demographically target, and build effective goods through a sequential process for category selection and comprehension. The client can visit the lab to learn the process. We offer unlimited rounds of revisions to ensure customer satisfaction. The final product prototype, along with the documentation process, including the video (through email), will be shipped to the client, and in case the client is not satisfied with the video, a food technology consultant will visit the place for the product demo at the client’s costs.

What are the different forms that you deliver the Food Product Formulations?

The food industry is witnessing a new form of consumption. Keeping that in mind, we can formulate the products in the form of ready-to-eat, ready-to-drink, ready-to-mix, ready-to-serve, and ready-to-cook food products. We use ingredients that offer an added value to the development and improve its indulgence and sustainability in terms of its functional ingredients, plant-based food dyes, and natural preservatives with a clean label.

What are the sectors Food Research Lab cover?

We cover a wide range of sectors such as soups, sauces and dips, chips, tortillas, dry beverage powder, plant-based products, masalas, puddings, instant mixes and many more.

How is sensory testing been carried out?

Our sensory examination leads to the precise formulation and recipe recommendations. We develop data-driven design models based on sensory research and customer insights. The fact-based design methodology used by Food Research Lab reduces risk and gives our clients market confidence while cutting development time in half. With our dedicated sensory lab facility, our team takes satisfaction in creating and optimizing successful products in the marketplace, generating a favourable return on investment, and developing brand advocates.

Which Ingredient to Use?

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Which Ingredient to Use

Which Ingredient to Use?

Dr. Radhika Ganesan explains, “For high acid beverages with a pH below 4.6, we typically recommend whey proteins due to their superior solubility and heat stability at lower pH levels. Conversely, for low acid beverages, which generally have a pH between 6 and 7, milk proteins are preferable. Milk proteins provide optimal solubility and heat stability in this pH range.” The choice of protein source significantly influences the formulation, processing, and the challenges encountered during production and storage.

Examples of Protein Sources:

Whey Proteins: This category includes whey protein hydrolysate (WPH), whey protein concentrates (WPC), whey protein isolates (WPI), and milk-derived whey.
Milk Proteins: This group comprises milk protein concentrates (MPC), milk protein isolates (MPI), and micellar casein concentrate (MCC).

In formulations with higher pH, milk protein concentrates (MPCs) are typically used as the primary protein source, whereas whey protein concentrates (WPCs) are favored in low-pH beverage formulations. This strategic selection ensures that the beverages are not only effective in meeting nutritional requirements but also stable and palatable throughout their shelf life.

Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC) and Milk Casein Concentrate (MCC) are highly valued for their rapid digestive and absorptive properties, making them ideal for neutral pH protein-fortified beverages. MCC, a relatively newer dairy protein, contains a higher ratio of casein compared to MPC. Both ingredients are excellent sources of essential amino acids and provide slowly digestible protein that promotes satiety.

In contrast, whey proteins are more heat-sensitive during prolonged exposure to high temperatures, which can lead to denaturation, aggregation, and gel formation. However, whey proteins are favored for their excellent solubility and ability to remain dissolved across a broad pH spectrum. This makes them particularly useful for fortifying acidic beverages, typically with a pH range of 2.8 to 3.5.

The following table compares the characteristics of protein isolates and concentrates

Factor	Protein Concentrate	Protein Isolate
Cost	Lower	Higher
Lactose Content	Higher, Contributes to overall sugar Content	Lower, less sugar Content
Mineral Content	Higher, Can Affect Stability based on PH	Lower
Fat Content	Contains Some fat, resulting in a Cloudy, Milky Product	Minimal to no fat, resulting in Better clarity
Product Clarity	Less Clear, more Milky appearance	High Calrity, Ideal for Protein waters
Overall Preference	Chosen for Cost-efficiency	Preferred for Lower Sugar Content Clarity