How Grande’s Custom Ingredients Group Adds Sustainability to Our Business Model

Grande’s innovation and commitment to quality continues long after crafting our fine Italian cheeses. Read on to learn how what was once a byproduct of the cheesemaking process has become a successful line of value-added whey protein products.

A key step in the cheesemaking process is to separate the cheese curd from the whey. While we reserve the curd for cheesemaking, the excess whey is not used in crafting our fine Italian cheeses. Grande Custom Ingredients Group can further process this whey to produce 100% natural whey protein products that are used in numerous food and beverage products sold throughout the world. What was once a byproduct of cheese production has developed into a thriving business for Grande, completing the cycle of Grande’s sustainable business model.

Grande Custom Ingredients produces a variety of proprietary whey proteins that provide different features and functions in an assortment of food systems. Today we will introduce you to Grande Bravo as it applies to a broad array of applications.

What is Grande Bravo whey protein used in?

Given the versatility of Grande Bravo’s properties, along with its various flavor profiles, it is ideal for use in a wide variety of applications. Some of the most popular formulations that it is used in include:

• Soups & sauces
• Spreads & dips
• Cheese sauces & fillings
• Salad dressings
• Coatings & seasonings
• Baked goods
• Ice cream & frozen desserts

Grande Custom Ingredients’ team of food scientists work with food manufacturers across the globe to identify innovative solutions for their formulation challenges.

Why do manufacturers use Grande Bravo?

As you have likely experienced in your restaurant, today’s consumers are looking for healthier foods. Food manufacturers must find ways to address consumer demands for better-for-you options that don’t compromise quality, taste or texture. Bravo helps food manufacturers accomplish this by improving a product’s nutritional profile while maintaining or improving the formulation’s taste and texture. Often, it can be used as a replacement for high-fat dairy ingredients to reduce fat and calories. Research suggests that whey protein also can:

• Improve bone density
• Support weight loss
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Build lean muscle
• Lower blood sugar
• Decrease the risk of stroke

Functional whey proteins are also used to replace artificial ingredients and comply with clean label initiatives. As Grande’s whey proteins are all natural and do not require bleaching like some other products, they provide a more desirable functionality for applications, including:

• Improved shelf-stability
• Creamier mouthfeel & texture
• Cost Savings

Because of the way in which Grande’s products are produced, food labels can list it as an all natural ingredient to comply with clean label initiatives.

How is Grande Custom Ingredients Group whey protein different from others?

There are many different methods used to manufacture whey protein products. While the vast majority of whey protein originates from cow’s milk, the process it goes through can vary from one manufacturer to the next. Grande is committed to using an all natural process that doesn’t involve any chemical modifications such as bleaching – both for cheesemaking and processing whey.

Questionable sourcing and food safety are added concerns for today’s mindful eaters. Consumers increasingly want to know more than just what’s listed under the ingredients; they also want to know where their food came from, whether any animals were harmed in the making, how workers are treated, and whether environmental standards and ethical values are upheld by ingredient suppliers. All of Grande’s value-added dairy products are produced with Grade A milk from dedicated Grande producer dairies and can be traced from collection through distribution of the finished product. Grande’s products are sustainable, nutritious, functional and ethically sourced.

Click here to learn more about the process it takes to make whey protein concentrate, starting with the milk!