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**Protein Everywhere, All at Once**

1h ago · 6 sources · trend

Protein is no longer a category. It is the category.

Carrefour in Belgium just rolled out its own private label protein supplements, from creatine and isotonic drinks to whey and protein bars, now in stores nationwide. The twist, 91% of Belgians already meet their protein needs, with average requirements at 0.83g/kg. Retailers know shoppers are not buying protein because they are deficient. They are buying it because it signals health.

Zoom out and the land grab gets louder. FrieslandCampina Ingredients is investing €90M to expand whey capacity in the Netherlands, betting on shortages ahead and planning full capacity by 2028. Global whey demand is projected to grow at 7.7% CAGR through 2033, with demand outpacing supply.

India tells the same story with a local accent. ITC Foods says protein is dominating the nutrition sector, from powders and bars to protein ice cream and flour. Yet cereal remains the biggest protein source, with 45.9% of rural and 38.7% of urban consumers relying on it. Translation, the whitespace is fortification. ITC’s Right Shift oats pack 23g per 100g of protein and 11g per 100g of fiber, aimed at consumers in their forties thinking about muscle and metabolic health.

Even beverages are bulking up. Optimum Nutrition launched Creatine Gummies with 5g and 40g Protein Shakes in the US. Protein soda players like Proda cap content around 10g for taste. Nestlé is chasing healthy ageing too, eyeing a $43.1bn elderly nutrition market by 2032.

Why it matters. Protein has moved from gym bro to grandma. Private label is in. Dairy suppliers are scaling. CPG brands are reformulating everything from oats to soda. The next fight is not awareness. It is supply, taste, and who owns the everyday protein occasion.

Key facts

  • Carrefour Belgium is launching its own private-label line of protein supplements including creatine, isotonic drinks, whey and protein bars, now available in stores across Belgium.
  • Carrefour stated that 91% of Belgians already meet their protein needs through their diet, with average adult requirements at 0.83 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
  • ITC Foods said protein is dominating India’s nutrition sector, with formats ranging from protein powder and bars to protein ice cream and protein flour.
  • According to India’s Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23 and 2023-24, cereal was the most important source of protein, with 45.9% of rural and 38.7% of urban Indians consuming cereal as a protein source.
  • FrieslandCampina Ingredients is investing €90 million to expand whey protein capacity in the Netherlands, citing strong global demand and forecasting whey shortages, with full operational capacity expected by 2028.
  • Global whey protein demand is projected to grow at 7.7% CAGR through 2033, according to Grand View Research, with demand outpacing supply.
  • Nestlé launched its first drinks line aligned with the healthy longevity trend, as the elderly nutrition market is projected to reach $43.1 billion by 2032.
  • Optimum Nutrition launched Creatine Gummies delivering 5g of creatine and 40g Protein Shakes in the US, reflecting protein’s expanding role beyond sports into healthy ageing.
  • ITC’s Right Shift portfolio includes oats enriched with 23g of protein and 11g of fiber per 100g, targeting consumers in their forties concerned with muscle strength and metabolic health.
  • In beverage innovation, brands such as Proda are using clear whey isolate to address taste and stability challenges in protein soda, typically limiting protein content to around 10g per can for palatability.
  • 91%
  • 0.83g/kg
  • 45.9%
  • 38.7%
  • €90M
  • 2028
  • 7.7% CAGR
  • $43.1bn

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