Arla Foods, one of Europe's largest dairy businesses, has launched a bottled water with added protein.

The whey-based drink, called Arla Protein Water, has gone on sale in the co-op's home market of Denmark, initially through petrol stations and fitness centres.

The drink has been developed as a “complement to Arla's existing protein products” and is designed to offer consumers an easy option “on the go”, the company said in a statement.

Henrik Lilballe Hansen, Arla Denmark country director, said: “Protein is no longer a niche. It has become part of many consumers' daily choices, which is why we also see a demand for new formats.

“With Arla Protein Water, we give consumers a fresh and easy way to choose protein, while building on our strong competencies within milk and whey protein.”

Each 500ml bottle contains 12g of whey protein derived from milk and electrolytes, with zero sugar and 50 calories, an Arla spokesperson told Just Food. The product is bottled in-house.

The recommended retail price for the protein water is DKr25 ($3.74), the spokesperson added.

Asked if Arla was in talks with supermarkets over listings, the spokesperson said: “We are starting in convenience and foodservice and await the results and learnings from here, before considering a retail launch.”

Arla has a significant presence in European markets including Sweden, Germany and the UK.

“As with many other product innovations, we start in one market, and if the product is successful, it will likely also be launched in other countries," the spokesperson said.

Earlier this year, soft-drinks business Nichols launched MyProtein Clear Whey Protein Water in the UK market through a licencing tie-up with THG.

Another UK-based functional hydration brand Ipro Hydrate moved into the protein water category late last year.