A new crunchy whey protein ingredient debuted in Las Vegas July 13 at the 2004 IFT Annual Meeting + FOOD EXPO® as the product of collaboration among manufacturer Grande Custom Ingredients Group, Utah State University and Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI).
The WPCrisp™ is a patented whey protein crisp made by extruding a combination of whey protein and an edible polysaccharide, such as cornstarch, through a twin-screw extruder. The clean dairy flavor and nutrition of the whey protein make the WPCrisp™ an appealing and healthy ingredient for cereals, sports bars, trail mix, frozen dessert and yogurt toppings and many other applications. It’s also a pleasing crunchy snack on its own.
Commercializing technology
“The WPCrisp™ is a great example of how DMI-supported technology moves from the lab to the marketplace,” says Bill Haines, vice president, product innovation, at DMI.
Based on a prototype developed at DMI’s Western Dairy Center at Utah State University in Logan, WPCrisp™ was perfected for the market by Lomira, Wis.-based Grande. Rosemont, Ill.-based DMI builds demand for U.S.-produced dairy products and ingredients on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.
“Through DMI, America’s dairy farmers supported the initial research at Utah State and communicated the successful creation of textured whey protein to industry,” said Haines. “Utah State worked to scale up the process to pilot production levels. Then Grande took the next step and made the product commercially viable.”
Research began in 1998, when scientists Marie Walsh, Ph.D., and Charles Carpenter, Ph.D., received DMI support to develop a textured whey protein snack component. They combined various forms of starch with different whey protein concentrates, using a twin-screw extrusion process to create a textured product.
Sharing the research with industry
When the researchers shared their findings at a DMI Dairy Innovation Forum, their efforts caught the attention of Grande Custom Ingredients Group Vice President Steve Dott. DMI’s Dairy Innovation Forum is an annual gathering of leaders in the food industry, dairy research and at DMI.
“Grande is an innovator, and we knew this kind of pioneering technology could be the basis of a unique product,” says Dott. Utah State gave Grande the rights to commercialize the technology. The Custom Ingredients Group, which is part of an integrated network of Grande Cheese Company manufacturing, packaging and warehousing facilities, then began its work to develop product sizes and formulations.
Can be customized to formulation requirements
The WPCrisp™ product introduced at IFT comes in four standard sizes, each with whey protein concentrations of 50%. WPCrisp™ can be customized to the requirements of food manufacturers who seek different sizes and and/or protein content ranging from 40% to 70%, Dott says.
Textured whey proteins are just one item in DMI’s portfolio of research and technology on dairy ingredients and products, processes and packaging. DMI has a network of six research centers, two applications labs and more than 100 experts who assist the dairy and food and beverage industries in innovating with dairy.
“The Grande collaboration is yet another story of how a company can look to DMI not just for ideas, but also for hands-on assistance in bringing products from concept to market,” says Haines.