Calcium caseinate is a high-quality dairy protein with an excellent nutritional profile, slow digestion rate and exceptional functional properties in food and beverage applications. Our range of premium calcium caseinates delivers a superior sensory experience, empowering formulators to create protein-rich products with an appealing taste and texture. From ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages to high-protein bars and beyond, our calcium caseinates offer the performance and versatility needed to meet today’s formulation challenges.
Calcium caseinate is a processed form of casein protein, the primary protein in cow’s milk, which makes up around 80% of total milk protein, with the remaining 20% coming from whey. It’s made by neutralising acid casein – which is derived from cows’ milk sourced from our member farms – with calcium compounds to form calcium caseinates.
In its natural state, casein acts as micelles – small clusters of protein molecules – giving it a unique structure and set of benefits compared to other proteins. Highly soluble and slow-digesting, calcium caseinate protein helps promote satiety and supports muscle recovery, making it an excellent sports nutrition ingredient.
Beyond its nutritional benefits, calcium caseinate delivers exceptional functional properties. It blends smoothly, retains moisture and improves texture, making it well-suited for beverages, bars and bakery products.
Casein protein: the must-have sports nutrition ingredient
Unlock the full potential of casein protein in sports nutrition and active nutrition products. Discover the benefits of casein protein, including its slow-digesting properties that support sustained amino acid delivery and muscle protein synthesis – making it an ideal ingredient for innovative, overnight recovery solutions or to bridge the gap between meals. Want to know more?
Calcium caseinate is one of several types of casein proteins, produced by adding specific minerals to milk casein to modify its structure and functionality. This mineral interaction changes how the protein behaves, affecting factors like solubility, heat stability and digestion rate. As a result, each type offers unique functional and nutritional properties that determines their suitability in food and beverage applications:
There are three ways to separate milk into its two main protein fractions, each which take advantage of the different physical-chemical properties of casein and whey proteins. These approaches include renneting (as used in cheesemaking), acidification (to produce caseinates) or filtration (to create micellar casein isolate process).
Hamouda, M.E.A. and Salunke, P. (2024). Changes in Milk Protein Functionality at Low Temperatures and Rennet Concentrations. Foods, [online] 13(3), p.447. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030447.
In renneting and filtration, the the casein micelles remain intact. By contrast, caseinate production leverages an extra acidification step that breaks the micelles down into their individual protein building blocks: caseinates. These caseinates are then dried in different ways so they can be formulated into different products:
Calcium caseinates offers gentle digestibility, high nutritional density and sustained amino acid release, ideal for patients who need extra nutritional support.
Calcium caseinates provide a slow-release, high-quality protein source that supports endurance recovery, muscle maintenance and long-lasting satiety across shakes, powders and high-protein applications.
Delivers a prolonged release of amino acids, for longer lasting muscle protein synthesis. Gorissen, S.H.M. et al, (2020). Protein Type, Protein Dose, and Age Modulate Dietary Protein Digestion and Phenylalanine Absorption Kinetics and Plasma Phenylalanine Availability in Humans. The Journal of Nutrition, 150(8), pp.2041–2050. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxaa024.
It is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids.
Can support with overnight recovery, thanks to its slow-digesting properties. Groen, B.B.L., Res, P.T., Pennings, B., Hertle, E., Senden, J.M.G., Saris, W.H.M. and van Loon, L.J.C. (2012). Intragastric protein administration stimulates overnight muscle protein synthesis in elderly men. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 302(1), pp.E52–E60. doi:https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00321.2011.
Stimulates a high muscle protein synthesis rate. Lacroix et al., (2006). Compared with casein or total milk protein, digestion of milk soluble proteins is too rapid to sustain the anabolic postprandial amino acid requirement. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 84(5), pp.1070–1079. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/84.5.1070.
Increases exercise capacity and reduces overall body fat mass, when combined with endurance training. Knuiman, P. et al., (2019). Protein supplementation elicits greater gains in maximal oxygen uptake capacity and stimulates lean mass accretion during prolonged endurance training: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(2), pp.508–518. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz093.
Our Excellion® range of calcium caseinates are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of consumers in innovative, protein-enriched applications.
Excellion® Calcium Caseinate S is a spray dried milk protein, type fresh curd caseinate, prepared from fresh skimmed milk. It is used in dietetic, sport and health drinks, medical formulas as well as in (cultured) dairy products.
Excellion® Calcium Caseinate A is a spray dried and instantiized milk protein, type fresh curd caseinate, prepared from fresh skimmed milk. It is used in dietetic, sport and health foods, slimming and geriatric formulas.
Excellion® Calcium Caseinate I is a spray dried milk protein, type fresh curd caseinate, prepared from fresh skimmed milk. It is used in dietetic, sport and health drinks, medical formulas as well as in (cultured) dairy products.
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FrieslandCampina Ingredients is a leader in dairy-based proteins, with 125 years of global and local expertise. Our robust technical and application experience allow us to help customers overcome complex protein formulation challenges, creating high calcium caseinate-based solutions that deliver both functionality and consumer appeal.
We partner with industry leaders and top academic institutions to drive ground-breaking protein research, keeping our ingredients at the forefront of innovation in performance and active nutrition markets. By owning the entire supply chain, we ensure a reliable security of supply for our customers. It also enables us to guarantee quality, traceability, and environmental responsibility across all our ingredients, keeping sustainability at our core.
Yes, it is ideal for muscle recovery and satiety due to slow-release protein. These slow-releasing properties make it particularly suitable for endurance athletes, who benefit from a gradual release of amino acids over several hours to support prolonged recovery. Calcium caseinate works well in high-protein shakes, bars and supplements, which are popular in the sports nutrition category. It is compatible with other protein blends for more tailored formulations, too.
Calcium caseinate is also helpful for seniors to support muscle mass retention as they age, as well as consumers looking to improve satiety without adding volume to their diet. For example, with GLP-1 users who need to keep portions small but fill a crucial nutritional gap.
Manufacturers can highlight the high-protein content of calcium caseinate, promoting it as a protein-rich ingredient that supports muscle growth and recovery. Its slow-digesting, sustained-release properties make it ideal for products targeting long-lasting nutrition, while it can also be positioned as a source of calcium, depending on local regulatory guidelines. These claims make calcium caseinate a versatile sports nutrition ingredient, as well as a good choice for protein-enriched foods and functional beverages.
Yes, calcium caseinates are generally heat stable, making them suitable for a wide range of food and beverage applications, including ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, dairy-based foods and other heat-processed formulations. They maintain their functional properties during pasteurisation and UHT processing and can help improve texture by preventing protein coagulation in heat-treated products.
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