Demand for protein has exploded over the past few years, expanding out from protein shakes and bars to less traditional products and formats like tempeh and coffee topped with protein foam, to more familiar propositions like cottage cheese and chicken.
In a recent Food Manufacture webinar chaired by Flora Zwolinksi (FZ), insights lead at our sister brand, Lumina Intelligence, a panel of experts explored what’s driving the protein boom, whether it has genuine longevity and what brands need to do now to remain relevant as consumer expectations continue to evolve.
Zwolinski kicked the session off with a dive into the numbers, pulling from research gathered by Lumina Intelligence. She was then joined by three industry representatives to take the conversation further:
- Natalie Carnachan (NC), head of category & commercial planning – dairy for Danone UK & Ireland
- Lewis Fallon (LF), head of performance innovation for Myprotein
- Dr Kelsey Kanyuck (KK), principal scientist for THIS
While the panel answered as many questions as possible during the hour, there were a few they didn’t manage to fit in. Here, they answer those queries.
To watch the session, The Protein Boom, in full, click here.
Q: How is demand for protein affected by other wellness trends, such as fibre and gut health?
FZ: The demand for protein has stood the test of time and seems to be going from strength to strength, albeit evolving.
There are a lot of comments around ‘is fibre the next protein’ and it’s true that fibre is on a similar trajectory to protein, with consumers realising its importance in their general, gut and mental health.
Protein is now a very established part of consumers’ diets, which they actively seek for. The growing understanding of importance of other macronutrients, won’t mean that protein disappears, it just means consumers are now looking for how they can eat more protein and fibre.
Perhaps the next wave of protein growth is ‘protein plus’, for example high protein and fibre, or protein and digestive support.
NC: Protein is increasingly part of a broader approach to everyday wellbeing, rather than a trend considered in isolation. Our research found that 61.2% of consumers are more interested than they were 12 months ago in food and drink offering additional benefits such as protein, fibre, hydration support or gut health. We are seeing this play out across yoghurt, where protein yoghurts are growing by 14.4% and gut health yoghurts by 12.3%.
This suggests the opportunity is not protein versus fibre or gut health, but products that help shoppers meet different needs across the day. One in four GB households often looks for foods high in fibre, while high-protein and fermented formats are also growing . For brands and retailers, the priority is to make these benefits easy to understand and convenient to build into balanced, everyday routines.
LF: Protein and gut health are increasingly becoming complementary rather than competing trends. Consumers are moving beyond single nutritional benefits and looking for products that support broader needs such as satiety, digestion, recovery and healthy ageing.
From an NPD perspective, this creates an opportunity to develop more complete formulations, such as protein products with added fibre or prebiotic ingredients.
Q: Are seniors being forgotten in protein marketing and should we target them more, if so, how?
NC: Protein is increasingly being viewed through the lens of healthy ageing, with consumers recognising its role in supporting strength, mobility and independence throughout later life. While protein has traditionally been associated with sport and fitness, there is growing interest in how it can help people maintain their quality of life as they age.
UK research suggests that awareness of protein requirements remains relatively low among older adults, many of whom are also less receptive to overt ‘high protein’ messaging. This presents an important opportunity for trusted, everyday foods such as yoghurt to help bridge that gap.
Dairy already performs strongly among older households, and by positioning protein around vitality, strength and healthy ageing, rather than performance nutrition, brands can make the benefits of protein more accessible and appealing to a broader audience.
FZ: A recent study by Lumina Intelligence looking into the longevity trend found that the top two age related health concerns consumers have as they age are loss of mobility and loss of energy/stamina/strength. Protein is clearly an important food group to support with strength and stamina. However, consumers who over trade in seeking high protein are younger, especially millennials.
Older consumers should certainly be targeted, but spoken to around the outcome: mobility, energy and every day strength to support with healthy aging, rather than leaning solely on ‘high protein’.
LF: Older consumers have typically been under-served by the way protein has been marketed. However, they represent a growing segment of consumers, who are increasingly aware of how protein can support muscle, strength, mobility and recovery as they age, particularly as protein requirements increase as we age.
To cater to these consumers, we also need to make sure products are available across the channels where consumers already shop, particularly grocery. The proposition should focus on simple swaps, familiar flavours and convenience.
Q: How does the panel view the opportunities for private label versus branded protein products over the next five years?
KK: I expect both to grow. Over the next five years, simply putting ‘high protein’ on pack will become less differentiating. For brands such as THIS, the opportunity is to offer products with improved taste, with science-backed credentials, strong sustainability, and broader nutritional benefits.
NC: Private label is expected to continue growing, with retailers playing an important role in making products focused on health and functional nutrition accessible to consumers. Private label already represents 44.3% of grocery value sales and is increasingly chosen for quality, not just value.
As shopper interest in areas such as protein, gut health and healthy ageing continues to rise, the category is benefiting from a broader range of options and price points.
At the same time, brands remain central to driving category development through investment in science, innovation and consumer education. This is important in areas where awareness is still developing and where trusted brands can help consumers understand the role that nutrition can play in supporting wellbeing.
Interest in functional nutrition is growing across demographics, with 52.4% of consumers aged 55 and over saying they are more interested in functional products today than they were a year ago (Danone Vision Report research).
The greatest opportunity lies in complementary growth across the category. Private label can help expand accessibility and reach, while brands continue to lead innovation, build consumer understanding and bring new propositions to market.
FZ: It depends on the private label and tier within it! Consumers turn to brands for high quality, consistency and reliability. The protein market is an added value/benefit, where currently more affluent consumers over trade, who naturally are driven by that quality.
Private label could offer an affordable alternative, but it will only succeed if it leans into quality messaging too. A PL that delivers value through low prices instead of great product with genuine high (and good quality) protein will be unlikely to succeed.
Q: Is there much of a conversation happening around the environmental impacts of different proteins and how these impacts can be addressed?
FZ: In recent years we have seen sustainability drop down consumers priorities as the cost of living and health motives became bigger drivers and it doesn’t seem to feature much in the debate around protein at the moment. We have also heard of smaller cheese suppliers selling whey, which they would usually discard, due to it being in high demand.
Interestingly, Lild has recently launched a ‘high protein meat’ range, which is infused with pea protein. These half and half products have tried to be introduced before, but with limited consumer uptake or appeal in the UK (they are quite established in countries such as Netherlands). The product positioning around this launch seems to be more focused on getting more protein at an affordable cost, which fits with the current consumer demand, rather than lowering meat consumption. It will be interesting to see the consumer response!
KK: Environmental impact is already important and is likely to become an even bigger part of the protein conversation. Evidence consistently shows that plant proteins generally have substantially lower greenhouse-gas emissions and land-use impacts than meat, particularly beef and lamb. We have also seen significant price increases in some animal proteins this year, influenced by factors including demand, trade disruption, and climate-related pressures. Together, these factors will encourage the industry to diversify its protein sources and make greater use of plant and other alternative protein sources.
Plant proteins can also provide nutritional benefits, including fibre and polyphenols, which align with wider consumer interest in health and wellbeing. In plant-based meat, we are already seeing consumers look for high-protein products that offer a healthier, lower-impact options to animal-based proteins.
As awareness of protein grows, I predict consumers will pay more attention to protein sources and their environmental impact when making purchasing decisions. However, taste, convenience, nutrition and value will remain essential. Sustainability is already a leading reason to choose plant-based meat, but the wider consumer conversation is not yet mainstream. [can include anything from above as feels relevant]
NC: There is no denying that food production has an environmental impact, and climate resilience is becoming increasingly important as weather patterns become more unpredictable. At Danone, we embed climate considerations into our decision-making, focusing on reducing emissions, protecting water resources, tackling food waste and strengthening the resilience of the food system at scale for the future.
Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation especially for younger consumers. While health, taste and affordability remain the primary drivers of purchasing decisions, consumers are showing greater interest in understanding the environmental impact associated with their food.
From a sustainability perspective, the conversation has certainly evolved from how consumers could consume less protein towards looking at how protein can be produced more sustainably.
We are seeing growing demand for products that help consumers meet both their nutritional and sustainability goals. This is particularly evident within plant-based categories, where sustainability remains a meaningful purchase consideration. Our research shows that the environment is among the top five drivers of category choice, while over half (55%) of plant-based drinks shoppers say sustainability matters to them.
More broadly, consumers are increasingly looking for products that deliver multiple benefits, reflecting a more holistic approach to food choice that considers both personal and planetary health.
Q: Would FSA guidelines including protein on front of pack be a good idea?
KK: Some consumers seek a specific protein amount, and our results suggest the current ‘high protein’ claim is not always clearly understood. More consistent front-of-pack communication of protein content could therefore be helpful.
However, I would favour voluntary guidance over mandatory labelling, which may add complexity or cause confusion. I would also recommend updating authorised health claims for protein, fibre, and gut health to reflect current science and consumer interest.