Reprinted from: PreparedFoods.com
Malt Products’ oat extract sweetener grows with surging oat milk demand
Malt Products Corporation (MPC), a manufacturer of malted barley extract and other natural, nutritious sweeteners, has recently experienced a surge in demand for its OatRite™ oat extract as an attractive sweetener for the burgeoning oat milk market.
The spike of inquiries stems from the nationwide boom of oat milk as the fastest-growing milk alternative, combined with increased consumer interest in pantry-friendly food labels featuring non-GMO, plant-based and multi-functional ingredients.
Oat milk has quickly taken its place among the most popular dairy milk alternatives, showing explosive growth in just the handful of years since first hitting grocery store shelves. Starbucks and Dunkin’ recently introduced oat milk as part of their menu options and, according to Beverage Industry, oat milk has now surpassed soy milk in consumer preference for the first time ever. This sudden rise to prominence also includes an astronomical 350% year-over-year sales increase, with sales anticipated to approach $300 million in 2020.
An ideal pairing for oat milk, OatRite™ has gained market share of late as a plant-derived sweetener for non-dairy beverages. Pantry-friendly for today’s label-conscious consumers, OatRite™ extracts are made from whole grain oats minimally processed in a state-of-the-art plant, producing a syrup with a mild sweetness and pleasant oat taste and aroma.
Naturally high in protein, minerals, soluble fiber and antioxidants, the non-GMO sweetener offers not only nutritive benefits but many functional assets including improved texture and extended shelf life. These characteristics are unmatched by sugar or refined syrups prominently used in traditional sweeteners.
Oat milk manufacturers choosing oat extract also enjoy a highly sought-after benefit: label simplification. For oat milk, OatRite™ represents an attractive single-ingredient sweetener that, like oat milk itself, enjoys a positive association with health-conscious consumers.
Oat milk is just one of many food and beverage applications with which Malt Products Corp. customers can experiment through the company’s new Innovations Lab. The new space is designed for MPC customers to test ingredients, try new formulations and gain insight into critical flavor and stability properties. The lab incorporates a variety of recent infrastructure investments including ovens, mixers, shearers, proofers and temperature-controlled incubators, as well as analytical equipment such as spectrometers and instruments monitoring water activity and rheology.
About Malt Products Corporation
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Saddle Brook, NJ, Malt Products Corporation (MPC) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of malted barley extract and natural sweeteners.
MPC has grown from a regional supplier of malts to an international company offering a full line of natural sweeteners serving a wide range of industries, such as bakery, confectionary, beverages, snack foods and cereals, pet food, animal nutrition, and pharmaceutical. MPC products are manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility in Dayton, OH. Product quality and customer service have been fundamental to MPC’s growth.