The trend is towards functionality. Foods that are functional and enhance certain abilities or improve certain health indicators is what people want.
Protein is at the heart of this new trend. From drinks to cereals, high-protein products are booming.
What has been the growth rate of this trend over the last decade? What does this say about the times we live in?
What is the growth of ‘high-protein’ claims?
Ananda Roy explains that since the Covid-19 outbreak ended, the number of ‘high-protein’ products has increased due to an increase in interest for functionality and health.
This increase is a result of the increasing availability of meat substitutes and innovative products.
Popular diets like keto have accelerated these trends.
Dairy is the primary driver of growth in claims for protein in beverages.
High protein beverages are mainly dairy based (with added whey protein isolate – lactose-free) or plant-based (pea, hemp, soy) beverages/milk.
The plant-based beverages sector initially catapulted the beverage category into success, but it has plateaued since then and ready-to-drink dairy products are driving growth.
The trend has also included meal replacement shakes.
However, the growth is not consistent across markets. Kiti Soininen is the category director of UK food and beverage research for Mintel. She says that growth in the UK has been random.
In 2019, the UK’s food and non-alcoholic drinks offered ‘high protein claims’ in 8%. In 2023 this dropped to 5%, and then climbed back to 7% by 2024.
In the UK, protein claims have increased across many products.
Soininen explains that “while this recent rise was partially fuelled by the fact that products such as meat and poultry highlight their inherent protein content,” activity has increased in categories which are not typically associated with high levels of protein. These include desserts, yogurts, cereals for breakfast, pastas, breads and cold coffee beverages.
This trend has been driven by sports proteins, such as Grenade, Myprotein and others. High protein products are available from brands like Gu and Starbucks.
By 2024, 39% of under-35s will consider protein to be the main factor in healthy food.
Why are proteins so popular?
Circana’s Roy says that the popularity of products high in protein is tied to a wider trend of functional, fortified and ‘better for me’ foods.
The popularity of the products could also be boosted by their launches. “The wide variety of innovative and creative products in all categories are creating buzz, fuelled by challenger brands, private label alternatives, as well as global dairy brand alternatives.”
Prices remain low and the consumer understands more about proteins than other ingredients like collagen, amino acids, or antioxidants.
According to Mintel’s Soininen, the UK’s positive view of protein is influenced by several factors.
Some 54% believe people should consume more protein as they get older, while 53% think they will keep them fuller longer.
While it is impossible to quantify the growth in sales of products enriched with protein, the rapid rise of high-protein products and active lifestyle sports nutrition products at mainstream retailers gives an indication of how the trend for protein has gained momentum.
