NotCo Shakes Up Sports Nutrition with New Zero Sugar Protein Drinks in Funky Flavors – vegconomist
NotCo, Latin America’s fastest-growing plant-based food tech company, known for its NotMilk and NotBurger, continues its portfolio expansion by tapping into the growing market for protein foods and drinks aimed at athletes.
Following the launch of NotSnack Protein Bars, a fortified cereal bar that contains caffeine and the sugar substitute palatinose launched less than a year ago, the company has presented “Not Shake Protein,” a range of protein-enriched sports drinks.
The new product range offers exclusive flavors such as Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon and Strawberry with Dates, as well as regular options such as chocolate, coffee caramel, and vanilla with coconut. All flavors contain 16g of protein per unit, 3.5g of carbohydrates, vitamins D and B12, and no added sugars. They are also lactose, cholesterol, and gluten-free.
In 2023, the Chilean food tech company launched High Protein NotMilk in Chocolate and Peanut Butter flavors containing ingredients such as soy and pea protein, pineapple juice concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and cabbage juice. The newly launched line of beverages marks the latest creation of the company’s AI, Guiseppe.
Changing perspective
The entry of NotCo into the sports nutrition market aims to offer products enriched with vitamins and minerals, aligning with broader health and wellness trends.
“This is the first time we enter a category that is not obviously animal-based. We got into this new category because we found something we should improve, and it changed NotCo’s perspective as a company,” stated Matias Muchnick, CEO and co-founder of NotCo, on announcement of the protein bar.
According to the Latin American Alliance of Responsible Nutrition (Alanur), an association that brings together food supplement companies, the protein foods and supplements market is highly lucrative, with annual revenues exceeding US$4.5 billion, attracting established global companies and new entrants.
Meanwhile, according to La Tercera, half of Chilean households have consumers of sports nutritional supplements, indicating a robust demand for products like protein shakes, bars, capsules, isotonic drinks, and energy drinks.
A less sweet launch
To our knowledge, the new Not Shake Protein range has been launched thus far only in Brazil, where the company presented the product’s new packaging, which is said to be recyclable.
In a move to expand its sustainability in its packaging, NotCo, a B-Corp corporation, partnered with the Swiss company SIG, a leading packaging solutions provider for a more sustainable world, to launch Notco’s NotMilk High Protein products in aseptic carton packs.
“Currently, most protein shakes give a feeling of ‘weight’ and are very sweet. We wanted to go against this reality, bringing a light, less sweet launch that could meet both the demand for common flavors and more mature and demanding palates. And, to complete the goal of raising the consumer experience, we also prioritize the maintenance of the highest protein intake and the lowest amount of carbohydrates in an on-the-go model of this category,” André Weinmann, president of NotCo Brazil, told Propmark.
