Ingredients in Focus is Food Dive’s bite-size column highlighting interesting developments in the ingredients sector.
The protein ingredients market is forecast to grow to nearly $86 billion by 2028, a 41% increase from last year, according to a report from Markets and Markets.
With the rise of consumer awareness in nutrition and the role food plays in overall well-being, products that are high in protein have been receiving extra attention. This has prompted companies such as General Mills, W.K. Kellogg & Co. and Chobani to launch products with extra protein.
The rising demand for protein alternatives, changing lifestyles and consumption patterns will continue to drive the protein ingredients market, according to the Markets and Markets report. It noted key players in the space include DuPont, ADM, Cargill, Kerry Group and BRF Global, among others.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, increasing awareness among people to strengthen their immune system to prevent illnesses has led them to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper diet, the report said. Protein ingredients have made that easier for them.
Markets and Markets also highlighted the potential for the protein ingredients market, especially within dairy and plant proteins. Dairy can benefit from the shift toward more functional products and increased consumer interest in the nutritional value of what people eat and drink. The growth of plant-sourced protein ingredients is supported by vegan trends due to sustainability and animal cruelty concerns.
Alternative proteins have been touted as a potential solution for many problems in food, such as the sustainability and stability of the food supply as well as nutrition enhancement. This has caused companies to prioritize ingredients, such as Meati with mycoprotein and Juicy Marbles with soy protein concentrate, wheat protein isolate and pea protein isolate.
Growing health consciousness and obesity have compelled consumers to focus on better-for-you diets with low-fat and high-nutritional value food, the report said. This has led to an increase in consumption of protein ingredients.
In addition to nutrition, proteins are widely used for their functional properties. These include texturing, emulsifying, solubility, stabilizing and binding. These properties have allowed food manufacturers to lower their raw material costs as they can act as substitutes for food additives.
