Arla Foods Ingredients is set to showcase three new personalized clear shake solutions at SupplySide Global, the ingredient and nutrition trade event running October 28–30 in Las Vegas — a move that underscores the dairy ingredient supplier's push into the high-growth functional beverage segment.
The company has not yet disclosed pricing, volume targets, or the specific protein formats underpinning each of the three offerings. What is confirmed is that each solution is positioned to deliver distinct functional benefits, reflecting broader industry demand for beverages that combine transparency — both literal clarity and clean-label legibility — with targeted nutrition profiles.
Why Clear Protein Is Trending
Clear protein beverages have emerged as one of the more durable sub-segments within sports and functional nutrition, attracting consumers who favour a lighter, less viscous alternative to traditional opaque protein shakes. The format typically relies on whey protein isolate or hydrolysed whey — both core competencies for Arla Foods Ingredients — which can remain soluble in acidic, juice-like bases. Market analysts tracking the broader protein beverage category have noted accelerating launches in this space across both retail and direct-to-consumer channels, driven partly by post-pandemic consumer interest in immune support, muscle maintenance, and weight management.
Personalisation is the second axis of the pitch. Ingredient suppliers increasingly present modular systems that allow brand owners and contract manufacturers to dial in specific functional claims — whether electrolyte replenishment, collagen co-delivery, or vitamin fortification — without compromising the beverage's clarity or sensory profile. Arla Foods Ingredients' three-format approach appears designed to give prospective customers a range of entry points rather than a single formulation template.
Trade Show Stakes
SupplySide Global draws procurement leads and R&D directors from across the food, beverage, and supplement industries, making it a key commercial forum for B2B ingredient brands. For Arla Foods Ingredients, the Las Vegas event offers an opportunity to position its whey and dairy-derived proteins against a competitive set that includes multinational ingredient houses as well as specialty plant-protein entrants vying for the same formulation budgets.
The clear shake category also intersects with the ready-to-drink protein beverage market, which has attracted significant retail investment from beverage co-packers and private-label programmes. Operators and brand owners tracking functional beverage innovation will find the Arla presentation relevant to ongoing sourcing decisions, particularly as clean-label and transparency requirements tighten across key markets in North America and Europe.
Full product specifications and commercial availability details are expected to be released at or following the trade event. Coverage of sports nutrition ingredient trends will continue as more details emerge from the Las Vegas expo floor.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.