As 2025 comes to a close, the dairy industry reflects on another year of excellence, innovation and strong consumer engagement. Standard dairy products continue to dominate the marketplace, but health-focused food and beverage products with nutrition-based claims are quickly gaining attention, most notably increased protein and reduced sugar content.

Dairy Foods sat down with Glanbia Nutritionals' Max Maxwell, market intelligence manager, and Ashley Bacchiarello, senior director product management for functional proteins, to examine protein fortification trends, functional ingredients in dairy foods and beverages and the balance between indulgence and functionality.

Protein continues to be a growth driver. How is Glanbia helping dairy brands differentiate in such a crowded protein marketplace?

Max Maxwell: Glanbia provides unique protein solutions that assist dairy brands choosing to differentiate to succeed in a crowded protein marketplace. Healthy snacking formulations like yogurt and dairy-based protein beverages has been an area where we can help. We know snacking consumers are driven by three core needs: convenience, nutrition and flavor. As consumers become increasingly health-conscious, they turn to protein snacks as nutritious alternatives to traditional, carb-heavy and empty calorie options. These include low-sugar, protein-rich snacks that align with diet trends and snacks that incorporate healthy ingredients. While convenience and nutrition are essential, flavor remains a key driver of purchase decisions, with “great tasting” ranked as the most important attribute in a protein snack. We help brands by responding with new indulgent flavor blends and enabling high protein snacks to taste great.

Ashley Bacchiarello: Glanbia empowers dairy brands to stand out through ingredient innovation, clean-label technologies and tailored protein systems. Our Functional Protein Solutions can deliver up to 20–30g of protein in products like protein bars, snacks and baked items. This technology supports differentiation by combining high protein content with desirable textures and clean labels, meeting consumer demand. Additionally, Glanbia offers a wide portfolio of whey and milk protein concentrates and isolates (e.g., BarPro, OvenPro and BarHarvest) that are process-stable, neutral in flavor and highly functional.

What role does fortification — vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics — play in today’s dairy innovation?

Max Maxwell: People want to improve their health in simple, convenient ways. Fortifying products that are already a part of their routines, like yogurt and other fresh dairy, is a highly appealing path toward filling common nutrient gaps. We excel in providing micronutrient premixes that enable consistent delivery of the ever growing nutrient fortification that consumers desire.

Ashley Bacchiarello: Fortification is central to Glanbia’s dairy strategy, enabling brands to deliver targeted health benefits without compromising taste or texture. Our portfolio includes TruCal (a balanced milk mineral complex for bone health) and bioactive ingredients such as lactoferrin, soluble peptides to support immune, gut and brain health. These fortification strategies align with rising consumer interest in functional dairy and help brands meet evolving wellness expectations.

How is Glanbia approaching the balance between indulgence and functionality in new dairy product development?

Max Maxwell: The balance of indulgence and functionality is now table stakes for consumers, regardless of the category. One great example of this outside of the dairy space is what we have seen happen in the disruption of the high-protein bar space. Originally intended for bodybuilders and endurance runners, the latest wave of disruption and drivers in the protein space are those that have leaned into indulgence while not sacrificing high protein content and low sugar. There is the same opportunity in the dairy space, exemplified by recently successful high protein ice creams as well as enhanced yogurts and dairy beverages.

Ashley Bacchiarello: Glanbia’s R&D teams are redefining indulgence through better-for-you snacking solutions that combine nutritional benefits with sensory appeal. Our OvenPro technology addresses taste and texture challenges in protein-fortified baked goods, enabling indulgent formats like muffins and brownies to deliver high protein without compromising on flavor. Consumer insights show that nearly half of better-for-you bakery snacking occasions stem from emotional need states—such as relaxation or guilt-free pleasure.

Looking 2–3 years out, what ingredient or functional area excites Glanbia most for dairy applications?

Max Maxwell: The continued proliferation of protein fortification in items like sauces, spreads and dips, and additional fortification of milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese are very exciting future ingredient trends. Smaller formats like dairy shots and RTE dairy snacks are also of great interest. New developments in extruded protein ingredients and enhanced cheese ingredients are also quite enticing. Innovation in dairy applications offers great potential.

Ashley Bacchiarello: Glanbia is particularly excited about the increased focus in functional proteins to address the increased interest and demand in better-for-you-snacking and permissible indulgence.