Ingredion launches pea protein optimized for bars

The protein will allow cold-pressed bars to maintain softness throughout shelf life.

courtesy of Pexels / Ella Olsson

Ingredion Incorporated has announced the expansion of its line of North American grown and produced protein fortification solutions with the U.S. and Canada launch of Vitessence Pea 100 HD, a pea protein optimized for cold-pressed bars. The new solution helps maintain the softness of cold-pressed bars throughout shelf life, provides preferred texture and sensory attributes, and adds nutritional value to boost consumer preference.

Consumers are eating protein bars on more occasions, and texture and taste are important drivers of liking. Whether eating for an on-the-go breakfast, meal replacement, snack, or pre-and post-workout routine, consumers want soft, smooth textures and balanced taste. Yet soy, whey, and other plant proteins pose challenges. Generally, bars become harder over the products’ shelf life and gritty, powdery, dry, and chalky textures are common, reducing the desirability of the bar.

“Ingredion developed Vitessence Pea 100 HD to reduce the challenges cold-pressed bar manufacturers have and help them find ways to build product superiority in areas that matter to consumers, especially in the area of texture, which is a significant contributor to liking,” says Tara Kozlowich, director global segment marketing, Healthful Solutions Protein Fortification at Ingredion. She adds, “Ingredion identified key consumer drivers such as taste, texture, and sensory attributes in the sports and nutrition bar space. Understanding these preference drivers drove the development and launch of the plant protein. Our objective was to reach and maintain low levels of hardness in cold-pressed bars to keep smooth and creamy textures intact from the first bite to the last—throughout the product’s shelf life—without compromising nutrition or the eating experience.”

Ingredion compared Vitessence Pea 100 HD to other protein sources in accelerated shelf-life and sensory studies. “Our technical experts from Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centers developed a cold-pressed bar model system and swapped competitive protein sources one-for-one. Additionally, we assessed the same model system against commercially available bars, using a third-party survey to gauge consumer preference,” says Michael Valenti, manager, global innovation business lead of Healthful Solutions Protein Fortification at Ingredion. He adds, “Vitessence Pea 100 HD showed desirable and predictably stable softness over shelf life and among pea protein competitors measured, had low pulse flavor and significantly lower chalky/gritty mouthfeel. In testing versus commercially available bars, consumers preferred the Ingredion cold-pressed bar prototype with Vitessence Pea 100 HD.”

Vitessence Pea 100 HD delivers a minimum of 84% protein on a dry basis, which helps to enable “good” or “excellent” source of protein claims. It functions like whey or soy protein with softness through shelf life in cold-pressed bars. A proprietary process ensures a consistently functional product with fewer texture changes and desired sensory attributes for cold-pressed bars. Our new pea protein reduces chalky and gritty textures and improves mouthfeel. It is non-hydrolyzed, which minimizes bitter taste, provides a cleaner label, and removes negative consumer connation's while performing like a hydrolyzed protein for smooth texture.

Vitessence Pea 100 HD is not sourced from major food allergens, and based on measurements from HowGood, can help reduce the carbon footprint and blue water usage in cold pressed bars when replacing whey isolate, can help reduce the carbon footprint and blue water usage in cold pressed bars when replacing whey isolate.

Vitessence Pea 100 HD will debut at IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo 2024:

Explore the benefits of Vitessence Pea 100 HD in a plant-based Chocolate Tahini Jelly protein bar containing eight grams of protein at IFT FIRST, booth S1131.
Hear a presentation featuring the new protein: Innovations in Texture: Creating Sensory Experiences that Enhance Taste and Build Consumer Preference, Monday, July 15, from 11:15 to 11:45 am CT in the exhibit hall on the Business FIRST stage, booth 2385.

To learn more about Vitessence Pea 100 HD, request a sample, or find out how the experts at Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centers co-create with developers and manufacturers to get to market faster with consumer-preferred food and beverages, contact Ingredion at +1-800-713-0208 or visit ingredion.com.

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Liz Parker Kuhn is the senior editor of Candy Industry and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and has worked at BNP Media since 2012. She has written for CBS Detroit as well as for her own blogs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. Liz can be contacted at (248) 839-7156 or at parkere@bnpmedia.com.