Sporting chance: Guangzhou firm talks up protein punch packed by coconut beverage

The firm introduced its coconut plant-based protein beverage prototype, which contains 2% protein (higher than the national requirement of 0.5%), during the new product technical seminar at Food Ingredients China exhibition.

Process engineer and R&D manager Stephen Li told NutraIngredients-Asia ​that the beverage — developed in December last year — was derived purely from coconut, without any added soy or casein, making it suitable for vegans, as well as consumers suffering from food allergies.

Besides protein, the beverage is also high in potassium at 384mg/100ml, higher than that of banana at 256mg/100g.

Li said that their target audience included end-product manufacturers who would like to target the sports nutrition sector.

Commenting on the plant-based protein market in China, he said that that was the big direction that most companies were heading towards to.

“Big players such as Mengniu, Yili are doing pure plant-based beverages, this is where the industry is heading.”​

The company sources its coconut and manufactures its products in Vietnam. Besides China, it also exports to the US and Europe.

To meet the demands of these markets, it is also  certified halal, kosher, and organic by the US department of Agriculture (USDA).

The firm’s offerings of other related products include coconut powder, coconut oil, coconut juice, and coconut water.

Coconut sparkling water ​

Other than the coconut protein beverage, the firm also plans to sell its expertise in making coconut sparkling water to end-product manufacturers.

Asked the reasons for interest in coconut sparkling water, Li said that such beverages were popular in the US and Europe, thus, the firm thought it might also gain traction in China.

“As for sparkling water, it is a growing market in China. That is why we are considering to merge the two popular concepts together,” ​he said.