Global whey protein supply is struggling to keep pace with the beverage industry's protein ambitions, and NNB Nutrition is moving to fill the gap. The ingredient innovator has partnered with Axiom Foods to commercialize PeptiClear™, a line of hydrolyzed plant proteins engineered for clarity, neutral flavor, and high solubility — properties that have historically blocked plant-derived proteins from competing in RTD and functional beverage formats.
The timing reflects a structural tension in the protein supply chain. Whey supply is a byproduct of dairy and cheese manufacturing, meaning production volumes cannot flex quickly in response to surging demand. Large CPG companies with long-term supply contracts and bulk purchasing power can weather the constraint; emerging brands and contract manufacturers looking to enter the high-protein beverage segment increasingly cannot. The result is rising input costs and tighter allocation windows across the protein ingredient market.
PeptiClear's RTD Case
For beverage manufacturers, the performance specifications matter as much as the supply story. Conventional plant proteins — pea, rice, soy — often introduce opacity, grittiness, or off-notes that are difficult to mask in a clear or lightly colored RTD. PeptiClear™'s hydrolyzed format is designed to remain in solution without clouding the finished beverage, opening co-pack and contract-brewing-adjacent formulation paths for categories including functional waters, ready-to-drink protein shakes, high-protein frozen desserts, and fortified dressings and sauces.
Axiom Foods also supplies plant-protein-based milk alternatives capable of substituting for dairy proteins across a wider range of food-service and retail SKUs, giving brand partners a broader toolkit for reducing whey dependency without sacrificing label claims.
DL-185® and the Performance Gap
NNB is pairing PeptiClear™ with a second ingredient: DL-185®, a dietary di-leucine peptide composed of two leucine molecules in natural peptide linkage. The compound is positioned as an anabolic amplifier for protein formulations. Published human clinical research cited by NNB found DL-185® stimulated muscle protein synthesis approximately 60% more effectively than an equivalent dose of leucine alone, and produced greater strength gains versus leucine supplementation in resistance-trained subjects.
For beverage formulators, the practical implication is that a plant-protein RTD dosed with DL-185® can make a credible performance claim that previously required whey or a whey-isolate blend. That narrows the functional gap that has kept plant protein beverages largely confined to wellness and lifestyle positioning rather than sports-nutrition shelf sets.
"NNB believes the future of protein isn't about replacing whey — it's about expanding the world's ability to deliver high-quality protein across every food format," said Dustin Elliott, Chief Brand Officer at NNB. "As consumer demand continues to outpace traditional dairy supply, the industry needs innovative solutions that combine functionality, scalability, and performance."
The launch matters for beverage supply-chain planners because it introduces an ingredient platform that can be qualified at multiple co-packers simultaneously, unlike whey concentrate or isolate sourced from a constrained pool of dairy processors. Brands running dual-sourcing strategies or stress-testing their functional beverage supply chains may find a qualified plant protein with documented performance data easier to integrate than a secondary whey vendor. For the growing roster of better-for-you RTD brands navigating non-alc and functional beverage shelf competition, a clear, high-performance plant protein ingredient could shift the formulation calculus on the next product development cycle.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
