The company has launched a toolbox to inspire South American brands to create indulgent high-protein desserts. Latin America accounted for 10% of global dessert launches in 2024, with retail sales reaching US$12.7 billion. In Brazil, the region’s largest market, value growth in the sector is rising by 9% CAGR.1 However, in a 2024 survey, 18% of Latin American consumers said they had decreased their consumption of desserts over the past year. Among this group, nearly four in ten (39%) overall, and over half in Brazil, cited “because it’s unhealthy” as a reason for cutting down.1 Furthermore, 79% of Latin American consumers say they wish healthier options were available to them in indulgent food categories.2 Winning back health-conscious consumers by reformulating to combine sensory pleasure with a healthy positioning has therefore become a common strategy, with the permissive indulgence trend now apparent across a range of categories. Increasingly, balancing indulgence with health means the addition of functional ingredients such as protein, rather than just reducing fat, sugar or salt. Research by Arla Foods Ingredients has found that 38% of consumers in Brazil want to see high-protein dessert options in supermarkets.3 The new toolkit features 12 recipes to inspire dairy, health and performance brands to create indulgent high-protein desserts. It showcases ingredients from the Nutrilac® ProteinBoost range, which deliver a creamier, smoother texture, even in low-fat products. Most of the recipes are rich in whey protein and therefore deliver high levels of branched-chain amino acids. Nutrilac® ProteinBoost ingredients also provide functional benefits, improving shelf life and stability in fruity desserts, ice cream and sorbet. As well as recipes for ready-to-eat desserts, such as ice cream, puddings and cheesecakes, the toolkit includes ready-to-mix solutions designed for health and performance brands. A low-fat instant pudding mix offers 20g of protein per portion, while a clear, gelatine solution features Lacprodan® whey protein isolate, which offers a range of benefits for active and performance nutrition.