Flavored milk consumption is soaring and is not limited to children alone, as adults are also embracing these dairy beverages, according to DSM’s Global Insight Series that will be presented at Food Ingredients Europe from December 1 – 3, in Paris, France.
It finds that better taste and more flavor varieties are important in further stimulating demand, as well as addressing concerns on the sugar content in dairy products.
DSM’s survey, conducted in the US, China, Brazil, Spain and Germany, shows that 24% of adults and 41% of their children reported daily consumption of flavored milk.
It has proven to be the beverage of choice especially for consumers in Brazil and the US, who drink it on a daily basis.
The year on year market growth between 2010 and 2015 of 13% shows the increased consumption of flavored milk products.
Adults are embracing flavored milk types, such as chilled café latte-style drinks or post-work out dairy beverages, where taste (55%) and bone health (41%) are the main attractions for flavored milk.
In China, the functional benefits are more important, as 43% of the participants see gastrointestinal health as the main driver.
The survey respondents also indicate that they would increase their consumption in the next three years, 29% of adults and 50% of their children.
Six out of 10 consumers are concerned about the amount of sugar in dairy.
Better taste (34%) and more flavor varieties (28%) are indicated most often as reasons to further increase consumption of sugar-reduced flavored milk beverages.
The findings support that flavored milk is an ideal vehicle for creating healthy and nutritious dairy products for all ages and different lifestyles.
Innovation can be driven by creating tastier products, bringing more varieties to the market that are lower in sugar.
DSM has an enzyme- and culture-based sugar reduction system for dairy applications.
With the help of enzymes, more of the sweetness that is naturally present in dairy products can be enhanced, creating a preferred sweet taste with less or no added sugar.
Combined with dairy cultures, the texture and mouthfeel of the yogurt is retained and provides stable shelf life.
Furthermore, the company is working on a fermentative sweetener platform to bring flexible, reliable and sustainable stevia to the food and beverage industry.
