Fi Asia 2025: Arla Foods Ingredients highlights new protein soda

Fi Asia 2025 set the scene for Arla Foods Ingredients to showcase its latest high-protein solutions. The company told us about its Protein Soda, which taps into the “better-for-you” soft drinks trend with its specialty whey protein ingredient, Lacprodan BLG-100.

We sat down with Nikolaj Nøeddebo Beck, senior account manager for Performance & Functional Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss the solution and the demand for high-protein products.

“Consumers are looking for healthy alternatives without the guilt of consuming too many calories. With our protein soda, the only calorie contribution is the protein. The protein is our Lacprodan BLG-100, a new type of clear whey protein isolate — it works perfectly in the sparkling concept and gives less bitterness for a clear, transparent soda,” he tells Food Ingredients First.

“There are 10 grams of protein in this small serving size. In fact, we have tested a can with double the protein (20 grams) and it still works perfectly, providing great taste and refreshment for a healthy alternative. People at the show have been amazed that you can actually make something taste like this.”

The sugar-free Protein Soda with Lacprodan BLG-100 is heat-stable and suitable for hot and cold processing lines. The ingredient contains more essential amino acids to support muscle strength than standard whey protein. 

Sports nutrition in Thailand

Milk-based beverages are mainstream in Thailand, but Beck sees potential for the broader sports nutrition segment to grow as consumers demand increasingly high-protein products.

“We still see a continuous interest in higher protein formats. Consumers want to push the boundaries — 25 or 30 grams in one bottle of milk is not enough. The high-protein trend is expanding into the yogurt category, including spoonable yogurt and drinking yogurt.”The sugar-free soda with Lacprodan BLG-100 provides 10 grams of protein.

“Thailand is one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to embrace this trend. It will slowly expand to the rest of the region, as it has done in Europe and the US.”

Arla Foods Ingredients also showcased clear protein shakes with refreshing tastes using its Lacprodan ISO.RefreshShake whey protein isolate, delivering 20 grams of protein per 300 ml serving. The ingredient works perfectly with fruit and berry combinations and candy flavors.

Blood sugar control benefits

Arla Foods Ingredients has found that consuming Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake whey protein isolate before meals can help control blood sugar in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or use it effectively to maintain normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Elevated blood glucose increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for babies and mothers. Those with gestational diabetes mellitus are advised to control their blood glucose levels through diet, weight management, and moderate exercise.

Arla Foods Ingredients partnered with Aarhus University and the Steno Diabetes Center in Aarhus, Denmark, to study the effects of whey protein on gestational diabetes mellitus. In the randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded crossover trial, 12 women with gestational diabetes mellitus and 12 with normal glucose tolerance consumed whey protein or a placebo 30 minutes before a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test.Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake whey protein isolate can help control blood sugar in gestational diabetes mellitus.

The results showed that pre-meal consumption of 20 grams of Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake reduced post-meal blood glucose peaks by -1 mmol/L (-18 mg/dl) in those with gestational diabetes mellitus, and by -0.7 mmol/L (-12.6mg/dl) in those without.

In home settings, pre-meal doses of 15–30g of the whey protein consistently lowered post-meal blood glucose levels and reduced fluctuations in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Lise Høj Brunsgaard, research scientist at Arla Foods Ingredients, says: “These findings suggest that whey protein may be a safe, effective, and promising nutritional strategy to support blood glucose management in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.”

“For this study, our Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake whey protein isolate was selected due to its high purity and rapid absorption profile, which made it suitable for investigating its potential role in maternal nutrition during pregnancy.”

With reporting by William Nichols at Fi Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.