Consumers around the world are constantly seeking effective ways to improve their overall health. Recently, Southeast Asian food and beverage manufacturers were given the opportunity to learn how certain U.S. dairy ingredients can be used to provide product options to complement this growing trend.

Certified Food Scientist Sharon Gerdes gave two presentations in Bangkok, Thailand on September 10 and 11 on behalf of the U.S. Dairy Export Council® at the Food Ingredients Asia Technical Conference on New Functional Ingredients for Healthy Living. She shared research-based findings on the health and societal impact of hypertension, and how U.S. permeate can help deliver better nutrition to address this health issue. She then spoke on the positive health effects U.S. dairy proteins deliver which support consumers' health and wellness needs.  

U.S. Permeate: Supporting Formulation of "Better for You" Foods by Reducing Sodium Levels  

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is prominent in people from Southeast Asia due to various factors, including diet. Hypertension increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, which contributes to heart failure and premature mortality rates. Consumers may not realize that a simple alteration in their diets can have a large impact on helping reduce these risks.  

High salt intake results in increased levels of sodium in the body, which can play a factor in hypertension. U.S. whey permeate is a dairy ingredient unique for its ability to replace salt and reduce sodium levels by 25% in a variety of foods and beverages. It boosts the content of numerous heart- and bone-friendly minerals, such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.  

"Food manufacturers have an opportunity to introduce great-tasting, lower sodium versions of popular foods using dairy to help consumers decrease daily sodium intake to nutritionist-recommended levels," Gerdes said.  

Dairy Proteins: Achieving Higher-protein Diets   

Gerdes' second presentation addressed the benefits of consuming protein throughout the day and life cycle. U.S. dairy proteins, as part of high protein diets, are beneficial because they help build and maintain muscle.  

"Like manufacturers in the Unites States and other markets, food formulators in Southeast Asia have an opportunity to focus on the importance of added protein in meal and snack items," said Gerdes. "The judicious amounts of high-quality dairy proteins can supplement plant-based and novel proteins to achieve higher-protein diets."  

Food and beverages can be fortified to reach 5 or 10 grams of total protein. Gerdes stressed that to reach the recommended amount, the quality, quantity and timing of consumption must be taken into account.   Visit our Sodium Reduction and Dairy Proteins pages for more information.