The demand for high-protein products is reaching an all-time high. Consumers no longer want protein only in sports shakes. They want it in everyday foods, from snacks to rich desserts.
To explain how dairy brands can handle this major market shift, Reese Clark spoke with Carol Barreiro. Barreiro is Idaho Milk Products’ Business Development Manager for the Blending Vertical. They met at the ADPI conference in Chicago. Together, they discussed the launch of our state-of-the-art blending facility, a game-changing high-protein dry ice cream mix, and how custom powder formulation is solving supply chain headaches for businesses nationwide.
What is Powder Blending? More Than Just Standalone Ingredients
When people think of Idaho Milk Products, they think of world-class, premium dairy proteins. Powder blending takes those high-quality ingredients and transforms them into complete, functional, ready-to-use systems.
Instead of procuring standalone ingredients and dealing with the sophisticated, logistical maze of multiple suppliers, manufacturers can leverage custom dairy blends that incorporate vitamins, minerals, flavors, and precise formulation.
As Carol explains:
"Proteins are so tight. Everybody wants protein in everything. So it can give the customer some sort of flexibility to mix different proteins, for example. Or if they're making a protein bar, we can offer a premix and a system to make it easier for them. So they don't have to procure five or six different ingredients from five or six different companies. We can offer them a system, a solution, a premix for a certain product that they might be making or wanting to make."
Spotlight on Innovation: The Dry Ice Cream Mix
While our brand-new ice cream processing facility has generated immense industry buzz, the simultaneous rollout of our dry ice cream mix represents true innovation across the B2B and B2C dairy spaces.
Unlike traditional powder ice cream mixes on the market that rely on alternative fats like coconut oil or palm oil, our formulation uses real, premium dried cream from our facility, paired with high-quality protein.
Beyond flavor and premium texture, this dry format offers massive logistical and environmental advantages:
- Eliminates Water Weight: Lower shipping weight directly reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions.
- Zero Refrigeration Needed: Simplifies storage and extends shelf life.
- Effortless Reconstitution: Operators simply add water to create a premium, smooth soft-serve or ice cream base.
"We are trying to be an option, a solution to those customers who are looking for a high quality product. So most likely, those customers are already buying some sort of liquid mix for this. So they're transporting water that needs refrigeration. For us, with this product, I mean, it's dry. You're not transporting any water. You don't need any refrigeration to transport or to store it."
Three Ways to Partner with Idaho Milk Products
Whether a brand comes to the table with a finalized recipe or just a rough concept, our modern facility and expert teams are equipped to accommodate a range of project types. We break our blending services into three main pathways:
- Custom Formulations & Premixes: Turnkey base systems optimized for trending applications like protein bars, ready-to-mix (RTM) powders, or ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages.
- From-Scratch R&D Collaboration: Leveraging our cutting-edge Milk Innovation Center, which features a miniature processing plant and laboratory-scale blender, to solve complex application challenges, texturize coatings, or introduce high protein percentages without ruining flavor profiles.
- Toll Blending Services: For brands that have already secured their exact ingredients and formulas, we provide efficient powder blending and packaging.
"Different than offering just one ingredient and knowing exactly what you can do and cannot do with that ingredient, this is so much more broad... We can help you formulate from scratch if you need us to, so we can be totally flexible and address your issues. Start with nothing and build from scratch, or even solve a specific problem."
Scalable Packaging Built for Growth
To ensure we can support both commercial food service brands and companies looking to capture home-use retail trends, our packaging capabilities span a wide range of sizes. We support distribution formats ranging from 6-pound bags up to 20 or 25-kilogram bags and massive totes, ensuring seamless integration into your current manufacturing or distribution network.
Connect With Us
Are you ready to optimize your supply chain, elevate your product's protein profile, or bring a new dairy concept to life?
Visit our dedicated Blending Webpage to submit an inquiry, look out for our teams at upcoming industry trade shows, or connect directly with Carol Barreiro on LinkedIn to discuss how we can build custom synergies for your business.
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