With Tetra Pak’s support, the US start-up Pioneer Pastures recently launched a range of high protein, low-sugar chocolate and vanilla protein shakes in Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 330ml packages. They are the first food supplement and nutrition (FSN) company to make protein shakes based on ultra-filtered milk from A2 cows which recent studies suggest may be healthier and easier to digest than regular milk from A1 cows. Discover how, together with Tetra Pak, they overcame the challenges of producing and launching a new brand of lifestyle nutrition products.
News spurs founders into action
The founders of Pioneer Pastures are driven by something even stronger than current consumer trends. Having witnessed an alarming decline in the metabolic health of US citizens in recent years, they are now on a mission to reverse this downward spiral. As parents of three young children, Jeff and his wife were especially alarmed to learn that the most consumed product in the US school system was chocolate milk. “We’re building a world where chocolate milk doesn’t come with 25g of sugar.”
On top of that, during COVID, it became clear that metabolically unhealthy people were disproportionately affected by the virus. “In the absence of FDA intervention, we understood that any effort to reverse this health crisis would have to be led by entrepreneurs and retailers.” The idea for Pioneer Pastures was born.
“We’re building a world where chocolate milk doesn’t come with 25g of sugar.”
Jeff Mroz, co-founder of Pioneer Pastures,
Milk from A2 cows and all-natural ingredients
When it came to sourcing ingredients, the founders began by looking at different types of dairy protein. They learned that many of today’s consumers believe themselves to be lactose intolerant, when they are, in fact, intolerant of a specific type of casein in milk - A1 beta-casein protein. Indeed, several ongoing studies suggest that milk from A2 cows may be a healthier, more digestible option than regular A1 milk, allowing lactose intolerant consumers to drink milk without the risk of digestive problems. “The more I looked into this topic, the clearer it became that our protein shakes should all be based on A2 dairy,” explains Jeff.
To further enhance the natural profile of Pioneer Pastures’ products, they decided not to add seed oils (commonly used as emulsifiers), water, carogeenan or artificial sweeteners. Says Jeff, “If a cow were to make a protein shake, this would be it. It’s as close to nature as we can get!”
Tetra Pak - the natural choice
Since Jeff had already worked with Tetra Pak in his earlier position at OWYN (a plant-based shakes and powders producer) it felt natural for him to approach Tetra Pak this time too. His familiarity with Tetra Pak’s processes gave Jeff confidence when creating a whole new kind of protein shake. “Nobody had ever tried to make an ultra-filtered A2 protein shake before. Nobody knew how the A2 protein structure would respond to the pressure or heat treatment of industrial-scale processing. We needed an experienced partner; one that we felt comfortable with.”
Ultra-filtration is the key
The key to successful production turned out to be a ground-breaking ultra-filtration method, which involves passing milk through fine membranes to achieve a high-quality concentration of protein with a relatively low sugar content. Says Jeff, “Ultra-filtration allows us to create a nutritional profile with the exact amount of protein, carbohydrates and sugar our consumers are looking for. Getting more protein per calorie is a big win for our consumers."
“Getting more protein per calorie is a big win for our consumers.”
Packaging to suit all occasions
To package the range, Pioneer Pastures chose the Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 330 ml (11 oz) carton with DreamCap. “It’s a package that consumers recognize, and the volume is sufficient for people to feel satiated.” Being shelf stable, Tetra Prisma® Aseptic also suits the lifestyles of those who are trying to be healthier. People can carry their Pioneer Pastures shake in a gym bag, purse or lunch box without the risk of degrading product quality …or leakages."
Co-packer network gives consistent quality
At OWYN, Jeff had taken advantage of Tetra Pak’s co-packer network to find suitable manufacturers across the country. “We found that the co-packing model worked well, giving us the scalability, geographic consistency, and reliable quality we needed, so we decided follow the exact same model again with Pioneer Pastures.”
Nationwide launch in Target stores
The company chose to launch nation-wide from day one and debuted in 1800 Target stores simultaneously. Why Target? Jeff describes the retailer as “an innovative company that we felt would do a good job of curating our new brand.” Target used in-store messaging to help educate consumers about the advantages of Pioneer Pastures’ ultra-filtered A2 protein shakes which, along with the messaging on the packages and on the company’s own website, proved to be a powerful combination.
Sales exceed expectations
Although it’s only a few months since Pioneer Pastures launched its new range, the business is already meeting and exceeding its own ambitious sales targets. “Every week’s sales figures exceed those of the week before, which is wonderful,” says Jeff, “And the most common question we get is, ‘Where can I buy this product in bulk?’ - a clear indication that people are liking the products.”
“The most common question we get is, ‘Where can I buy this product in bulk?’”
