New Product Friday: Silk Creamer
Vanilla Latte Enhanced Creamer
I typically do not review products from the same company within a month, but here we are. Silk is continuing to release new plant based milks and creamers and this week’s New Product Friday is no exception.
Silk’s Enhanced Creamer is a almond based creamer that is enhanced with protein. It comes in a Vanilla Latte and a Salted Caramel flavor and is dairy, gluten, and carrageenan-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. Let’s take a look at the ingredients to see how clean this creamer is:
Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds): Self explanatory. Almonds are non-GMO
Cane Sugar: Cane sugar is less processed than table sugar, but is still added sugar. This is a non-GMO project verified source, but not an organic source. This means that certain herbicides and pesticides could be used to grow the cane sugar (non-GMO project verified still allows certain herbicides and pesticides—i.e. conventional methods— to grow ingredients. Organic does not allow for this)
Pea Protein: Non-GMO pea protein that is used to help give a creamy texture and add protein. The almonds in the almond milk have very little protein. Pea protein is one of the most common vegan proteins on the market.
Sunflower Oil: Add to give a smooth and creamy texture to the product. Adds fat to the product.
Natural Flavor: Added to give a vanilla latte flavor. Natural flavors came from coffee and vanilla. (Note: Usually “natural flavor” will be pluralized to “natural flavors” especially when there are multiple types of flavors being added)
Baking Soda: I.e. Sodium Bicarbonate. Adding sodium to the product, but also making sure that the product is stable (and won’t separate) throughout the time it is on the grocery store shelf and in your refrigerator
Sea Salt: Added to enhance the flavor of the product
Gellan Gum: Gellan gum is fermented from bacteria and is added to plant based milks and creamer to make sure that the product does not separate over time and remains stable.
Final Evaluation
Ingredient Quality: A. Every ingredient in here is simple and from natural, non-GMO sources
Ingredient Clarity: A-. Every ingredient is easy to understand. “Natural Flavor” should be listed as “natural flavors”, especially since multiple flavors are being added.
Functional Benefit: A. Adding protein to a creamer is unique and beneficial!
Nutritional Value: A-. Nutritionally, this is in line with other dairy and non-dairy creamers. Most creamers list their nutrition facts in 1 tablespoon increments. The 4 gram protein claim only comes in at the 4 tablespoon mark, which is high in calories.
Overall Score: A-. This is a simple, clean label creamer that is in line nutritionally with other creamers. I wouldn’t buy this creamer for the protein addition, since you would need to add 4 tablespoons (or 100 calories) worth of product to get the protein claim. The vanilla latte flavor is a little confusing since you would be typically adding this product to coffee. Who wants a coffee flavored product in a coffee?
Do you put creamer in your coffee? Would you buy this product?
This product was evaluated purely based upon the perspective of a food scientist. The writer’s opinions are purely her own without influence or affiliation with the brand.