Protein fortification, and the content and quality of protein, serves as a fundamental driver of food and beverage choices for a large swath of consumers in today’s global marketplace.
 
Flavor and nutrition company Kerry delved into the specific attitudes and behaviors of consumers around the globe in a recent large-scale survey, “The Protein Mindset: Uncovering Consumers’ Perceptions and Preferences of Proteins,” which covers feedback from more than 6,300 qualifying health and wellness-conscious consumers from 12 countries gathered over this year, across North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific Regions.
 
“Accelerated by COVID-19, consumer focus on health, and rising interest in proactive versus reactive nutrition, rapid change has occurred recently in food and beverage markets around the world as broader awareness of the many benefits of protein increasingly drives purchase decisions among mainstream consumers. This extensive Kerry research puts protein foods and beverages squarely under a microscope to understand where the opportunities lie for brands to innovate.
 
“There is little doubt the protein revolution in food and beverages offers exciting and dynamic opportunities for all product developers. This timely report provides a range of insights to consider incorporating within their short- and long-term product planning and development processes.”
 
Among key findings in the survey, Kerry mentioned that 50% of consumers associate protein with a healthy diet, and 46% with a “healthy lifestyle.” Additionally, 75% of consumers indicated that they would pay a higher price for protein-fortified food and beverages. More specifically, over half of global consumers report that they would pay a 10% premium, and 15% of consumers would be willing to pay as much as a 25% premium for foods and beverages fortified with protein.
 
The authors of the report found that there were many key factors contributing to the growth of the protein market – a growth which resulted in a 9.45% increase in products launched with “high source of protein positionings” between 2016 and 2020.
 
People are drawn to the macronutrient specifically because it carries a “health halo” – supportive of overall health, weight management, energy, and even immune health, protein is specifically marketable because of its multi-faceted benefits. Additionally, the flourishing of plant proteins and claims related to quality and clean-label standards have accelerated protein fortification’s popularity, along with the diverse range of mainstream and indulgent foods and beverages.
 
The top reasons consumers across the globe choose a specific type of protein over others are taste (65%), quality of protein (59%), natural ingredients (57%), cost of the product (55%), and the amount of protein per serving (53%).
 
“Other protein quality specificities such as the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) and Essential Amino Acid (EAA) profile are taking a comparatively lower ranking,” the authors noted. “We believe this represent an opportunity for brands to deliver higher quality protein along with educating consumers on the different dimensions of protein quality.”
 
Consumer familiarity with a variety of protein sources varies widely across different countries, the authors noted, breaking down several plant protein sources which could have greater opportunities if familiarity is established for future product innovation. Additionally, the company found that hybrid proteins – those containing proteins sourced from both plants and animals – are highly appealing to consumers across the globe, many of whom identify as “flexitarians.”
 
The survey also broke down the appeal that a variety of beverages would have among consumers if fortified with protein. The authors found that drinkable yogurt (52%), milk shakes (47%), smoothies (45%) nutritional beverages (44%), milk (43%) and juices (42%) seem the most popular among today’s protein consumer crowd, with protein-fortified water (30%), dairy powders (30%), iced coffee (28%), plant-based powders (27%), teas (26%), and carbonated soft drinks (23%) experiencing the most significant declines in interest.
 
Consumers in the protein space are becoming increasingly sensitive to ingredient declarations, and are highly aware of clean label and natural claims in their purchasing patterns. Meanwhile, claims related to sustainability are gaining traction in the protein category, the authors noted. Today’s five most appealing claims across the globe for protein are high-quality protein (39%), no added sugar (31%), all natural (30%), reduced sugar (28%), and no additives or preservatives (27%).
 
The report continues to highlight top opportunities for innovation in product development, and ways in which Kerry can support food and beverage manufacturers in applying the research to product development efforts.