At a glance

• Protein now appears across everyday products, from beverages and dairy to snacks, bakery and prepared foods.
• Its growth is being reinforced by interest in active nutrition, healthy ageing, weight management and nutrient-dense eating.
• GLP-1-influenced eating is adding momentum to products that provide greater nutritional value in smaller, satisfying portions.
• Combining protein fortification with fibre enrichment or sugar reduction can increase formulation complexity and affect flavour, texture and stability.
• Sensory performance should be designed throughout development, rather than assessed only at the end.
• The strongest products balance nutrition, taste, texture, functionality and repeat appeal.

Protein is expanding beyond sports nutrition into mainstream food and beverage categories

As interest grows around healthy ageing, gut health and GLP-1 influenced eating habits, manufacturers need solutions that balance protein fortification with taste, texture and consumer satisfaction. This article explores how sensory-first product development helps brands create protein products consumers choose repeatedly.

As protein continues to expand across categories, expectations are rising

Protein has moved well beyond specialist sports nutrition. It is now found across beverages, yoghurts, snacks, bakery products, bars, prepared foods and many other familiar formats consumed throughout the day.

Nearly 60% of consumers globally say they are actively incorporating more protein into their diets¹. While younger consumers are often cited with helping to drive protein’s continued expansion into more food and beverage categories, 7 in 10 Europeans across all age groups are paying attention to protein in their diet, with a net increase in protein intake². For manufacturers, this creates opportunities across almost every category. But it also changes the competitive context. High-protein products are no longer judged only against specialist nutrition products. They increasingly need to meet the standards consumers expect from the everyday foods and beverages they already enjoy.

More nutrition in every bite

Protein's expansion is part of a broader shift towards foods and beverages that deliver multiple nutritional benefits in a single eating occasion. Consumers are increasingly looking beyond individual nutrients and seeking products that support a wider set of goals, including satiety, digestive health, energy, weight management and long-term wellbeing.

Interest in gut health is helping drive demand for fibre-enriched foods and beverages, with approximately 60% of all consumers believing gut health is very important to overall health³. At the same time, sugar reduction remains a key reformulation priority across many categories, reflecting consumers’ broad focus on healthier food and beverage choices, yet consumers still expect products to deliver enjoyable taste and texture experiences, creating a challenge for formulators seeking to balance health goals with consumer appeal.

The growing influence of GLP-1 medications is adding new momentum to this trend, increasing consumer interest in foods and beverages that support satiety and nutritional value. Dietary protein, the most satiating macronutrient, is attracting particular attention One study demonstrated that high-protein breakfasts induce the highest GLP-1 release in healthy adults compared to high-carbohydrate or high-fat meals⁴. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly exploring ways to deliver more nutritional value in products such as beverages, snacks, bakery and dairy applications, without increasing serving size.

But the opportunity extends beyond GLP-1 users. Ingredion’s functional eating research highlights broader demand for products that combine nutrition, convenience and satisfaction rather than addressing a single health need.

Protein is central to this opportunity, but it rarely works alone. Today's formulations may combine protein fortification with fibre enrichment, sugar reduction, clean label positioning or other functional benefits. While these combinations can create stronger consumer propositions, they also increase formulation complexity. Protein can contribute bitterness, astringency or texture challenges, fibre can affect mouthfeel and viscosity, and sugar reduction can alter flavour balance and body. As nutritional ambitions increase, sensory design becomes increasingly important to ensure products remain enjoyable as well as nutritious.

Expectations for taste and texture remain the same

Whatever the nutritional goal, consumers do not adopt a different definition of enjoyment.

Protein fortification can introduce bitterness, beany or vegetal notes, astringency, dryness, grittiness and changes in viscosity. Fibre can affect thickness, clarity and mouthfeel, while reducing sugar can remove body, flavour balance and the masking of unwanted notes. These effects can become more pronounced when several nutritional changes are made within the same formulation.

The sensory challenge is therefore broader than correcting one unwanted flavour. Taste, aroma, texture, appearance and aftertaste combine to create the total product experience.

While health benefits may create consumer interest and encourage a first purchase, the complete sensory experience helps determine whether consumers will buy the product again.

What pea protein tells us about sensory acceptance

Pea protein offers an attractive combination of plant-based nutrition, functionality and regional sourcing potential. However, the choice of protein is only the starting point. The finished product still needs to deliver against familiar expectations for taste and texture.

A 2026 study evaluated 13 unflavoured pea protein isolates through trained descriptive analysis and consumer testing⁵. Flavour was the strongest predictor of overall acceptance, followed by texture and aroma. Bitterness, cereal or grainy flavours negatively affected acceptance.

The study also found no significant difference in acceptance ratings between consumers of plant-based and animal-based proteins. This suggests that consumers broadly apply the same sensory criteria when evaluating pea protein, regardless of their usual protein preferences.

This reinforces an important principle for manufacturers: consumers may accept a new protein source, but they will not accept a compromised product experience.

Better sensory starts before the final formulation

Sensory is sometimes treated as a final validation exercise, once protein levels, nutritional claims and processing requirements have already been established. By that stage, some of the most influential decisions may already have been made.

Raw material selection, cultivation, storage and fractionation can affect the protein’s sensory foundations. Ingredient design, processing conditions and the wider formulation then influence how those characteristics appear in the finished product.

This means unwanted flavour notes cannot always be masked at the end. Nor can dryness, chalkiness or poor mouthfeel always be solved through a late adjustment to the texture system.

A sensory-first approach considers the full journey:

Start with the consumer occasion

Define when, how and why the product will be consumed before setting the protein target.

Define the intended sensory experience

Establish clear targets for flavour, aroma, texture, mouthfeel and finish.

Choose the right protein for the application

Consider how the protein performs within the specific product matrix and processing conditions.

Design the complete formulation

Develop protein, texture, sweetness, flavour and stability as an integrated system, particularly when fibre enrichment or sugar reduction is also involved.

Use structured sensory assessment

Identify and measure the attributes that drive acceptance, rather than relying only on general impressions of whether a sample tastes good.

Test the real product over time

Validate sensory quality under realistic processing, consumption and storage conditions.

From adding protein to creating a product people choose again

As protein continues to expand across categories, success will not be defined by protein quantity alone.

Manufacturers need to balance nutrition with flavour, texture, functionality, stability, value and, increasingly, credible sourcing and sustainability considerations. When protein is combined with fibre enrichment, sugar reduction or other functional benefits, an integrated approach becomes even more important.

The central question is no longer simply: How can we add more protein?

It is: How can we create a nutritionally relevant product that fits naturally into everyday life and delivers an experience consumers want to repeat?

Sensory-first development provides a route towards that goal. By defining the intended experience early and understanding how the protein performs throughout the product’s journey, manufacturers can turn growing protein demand into products that deliver both nutritional purpose and genuine enjoyment.

Because while protein may encourage consumers to try a product, satisfying taste and texture are what keep them coming back.

Discover how sensory-first development can turn protein potential into products consumers choose again. Join Ingredion and Lantmännen at Fi Europe for “Pea protein without compromise: Enabling products consumers choose again,” exploring how sensory performance can be built from field to finished product.

• Theatre: Exhibitor Showcase Theatre (Hall 3, 30A1)
• Date: Day 1, 17 November
• Time: 11:30-11:55