Overview
- Market data show rapid growth for protein‑marked foods, with NIQ reporting a 21.5 percent rise in revenue for protein products and protein powders rising from €113 million to €327 million in two years.
- Millions of households now buy protein powders and enriched foods, with more than 5.1 million buyer households for powders and roughly half of consumers saying they purchase protein‑marketed items.
- Shoppers pay a hefty premium for the label, as NIQ found protein‑marked products cost about 40 percent more on average than comparable non‑protein items.
- The cooperative Genossenschaft Bayerische Milchindustrie has committed €40 million to its Ingredients division and plans a new high‑protein cheese from Jessen with a suggested price of €16 per kilogram.
- Nutrition experts and consumer groups warn that most people meet protein needs through normal diets and that many protein products add sugars, sweeteners or additives, which may raise costs and prompt closer enforcement of EU labelling rules.