"Ingredient Insights: The High-Protein Trend", identifies on-trend and emerging ingredients to help food and drink manufacturers respond to consumer demand for high-protein products. As the high-protein trend of recent years shows no signs of slowing, protein-focused innovation is infiltrating an increasingly diverse range of food and drink categories. As issues around health and sustainability come to the fore, manufacturers face pressure to ensure their formulations align with consumer expectations, with the source of protein increasingly as important as the overall quantity.

Manufacturers must keep broader demand for "natural" and "balanced" nutrition in perspective when developing functional protein products

Key Highlights –

• Consumers are most likely to associate "healthy" with "balanced nutrition," highlighting the need for manufacturers to avoid looking at "high-protein" in isolation.
  
• Natural ingredients are the factor most likely to encourage consumers to choose one brand over another.
  
• Plant proteins are most positively perceived by consumers as they increasingly seek out healthier and more sustainable protein options.