The staying power of milk
In part three of Driving Dairy, we explore growing demand for protein-enriched dairy products
As consumers across the world become more interested and aware of their wellbeing and quality of life – as discussed in part two of the series – it stands to reason this has affected their food and beverage choices. To keep up with this change in demand, the dairy industry has increasingly moved its focus towards products that consumers perceive to be healthy and “value-adding” – such as protein-enriched milk and milk products. But what makes something “protein-enriched”?
Within the dairy industry, protein-enriched dairy products are products which, simply put, contain added protein – usually in the form of milk protein or whey protein. In addition, fortified milk is another dairy category which has seen considerable growth in recent years and which also buys into the health and wellness trend. Here, milk beverages contain added minerals and vitamins including vitamins A and D, zinc, iron, and folic acid.
A rich timeline
On a much broader level, consumer demand for protein has been rising steadily for the better part of the last decade. Why? For a variety of reasons linked to better health, with the common perception that extra protein will aid in weight-loss efforts by making people feel fuller for longer. This is in addition to the belief that a protein-rich diet will help reduce the risk of muscle loss in later years.
The potential of protein
Buying into these consumer demands, the market for protein-enriched dairy products is big – and growing bigger every day. The global milk protein market alone is expected to be worth approximately $15.38bn by 2028, with further analysis indicating growth of more than 5.3% between 2021 and 2030. And milk isn’t the only dairy product with a bright future in this area.
Other examples include high-protein yoghurt and yoghurt drinks. And, with the global health and wellness dairy market valued at €153 billion in 2017 and set to keep growing, demand for high-protein yoghurt is set to grow with it. Indeed, the global market – including non-dairy yoghurt products – is expected to show 8% CAGR between 2020 and 2030.
A strong case for protein
It’s clear that consumers think protein-enriched foods and beverages can meet their desire to be healthier and more satisfied, with benefit claims such as improved body strength, or even the ability to prevent allergic reactions in young children.
This gives the dairy industry the luxury of targeting all audience types, not least of which includes consumers with a vested interest in sports nutrition – and whey. A staple ingredient in sports shakes and snack bars, whey-enriched products have shown considerable growth over the years. As it stands, the global whey protein market was valued at $7.4bn in 2018 and is expected to grow 8.1% from 2019 to 2025.
Whey also has huge appeal across other audiences: take whey-enriched dairy products specifically targeted at the 40+ market, or specialised, pre-digested protein made for infants.
Looking ahead
Protein-enrichment of foods and beverages will continue to be a growing force within sports nutrition, senior nutrition, infant nutrition, weight management and the overall health and wellness market. Throw in megatrends such as a desire for on-the-go products in safe, sustainable and convenient packaging, and consumers should expect to see more innovations when it comes to sports and wellness drinks and smoothies. They can also expect greater innovations and research into “healthy” snack drinks, meal replacement shakes and more.
But it’s not only protein that’s fuelling growth in the dairy market. To compete with demand for plant-based products and more exotic tastes, dairy manufacturers are becoming increasingly adventurous in the flavour department, offering things such as turmeric lattes and cotton-candy flavoured milks. In part four of our series, we’ll look further into the importance of flavour and how it is allowing the dairy industry to maintain its hold in the global market.
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- March 10, 2021