SPINS Product Intelligence Attribute Spotlight: Plant-Based Protein

1. Plant-based proteins offer diverse nutritional profiles based on shopper health needs
2. They are significantly more sustainable than today’s animal-based alternatives
3. Depending on the protein, the Snacks & Candy, Beverage, and Vitamins & Minerals categories all represent major growth opportunities

Continued innovation in the types and applications of plant-based proteins have made them valuable alternatives to traditional animal-based varieties. As shopper values continue to drive marketplace evolution, plant-based proteins maintain their steady growth trajectory thanks to their robust nutrient profiles and diverse applications.

To understand how plant-based proteins are impacting your category, check out these attributes from SPINS Product Intelligence:

• Ingredient – Added Bean Protein
• Ingredient – Added Hemp Protein
• Ingredient – Added Pea Protein
• Ingredient – Added Rice Protein
• Ingredient – Added Soy Protein

It’s not just soy! While soy protein certainly was the tip of the spear in establishing and driving the plant-based protein movement, there are many varieties of plant-based proteins in the market today.

Similar to super mushrooms, there are a wide variety of plant-based protein sources that are rapidly gaining traction, each with different health benefits:

• Soy:
  • Complete protein—contains all essential amino acids to support growth and development
  • Naturally low in fat and free from cholesterol and “bad fats” like saturated fat
• Rice:
  • Gluten- and dairy-free source of protein
  • Considered hypoallergenic due to rare involvement in food allergies
  • Used not only in Food & Beverage, such as in Beauty and Cosmetics
• Pea:
  • Has all essential amino acids, but is low in methionine making it just short of a complete protein
  • Rich source of non-heme iron
  • Provides structure in gluten-free foods while improving texture in other meat alternatives
• Bean:
  • Nutritional profile varies by bean, but tend to be high in minerals and B vitamins such as potassium, iron, magnesium, folate, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B6
  • High protein and low fat
• Hemp:
  • Rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E, as well as fiber and heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids
  • Does not require extensive processing, can just grind hemp seeds
  • Highly sustainable crop—requires less water or pesticides to maintain compared to other protein sources

As can be seen above, plant-based proteins are an organic response to consumer demand for more sustainable, yet nutritious alternatives to traditional animal-based proteins.

Plant proteins have a wide variety of nutrient profiles that satisfy a diverse array of health needs, and, as a category, have shown potential benefits to cardiovascular health compared to animal-protein diets.

Moreover, they are highly sustainable compared to animal proteins due to lower carbon, water, and energy requirements for a similar nutritional yield.

Finally, the wide variety of plant-based proteins available in the market supports diverse uses. These range from addressing food sensitivities, adding structure in gluten-free foods, and even finding use outside of food and beverage, such as in beauty and cosmetics!

Every ingredient matters. The type of protein leveraged in a product can impact everything from perceived nutrition, the taste profile, sustainability impact, and the number of eligible shoppers due to food sensitivities.

Based on the data, plant-based proteins continue to be a growing trend in the Snacks & Candy and Beverage categories likely due to adding nutritional benefits without triggering any food sensitivities.

In particular, we’re seeing bean, rice, and hemp rapidly gain traction, while pea-protein, already an established player in those categories, continues with stable growth.

On the other hand, it appears that soy, which paved the path for plant-based protein, is no longer king. Its growth has largely stabilized or declined across the categories above, and while it has the largest market share in plant-based meats, growth in plant-based meats as a category has also slowed.

Plant-based proteins have come a long way in the last decade. As values-oriented shoppers continue to drive marketplace evolution by choosing more sustainable or animal-friendly options, it’s natural that they would look for a variety of options to meet their nutritional and health needs. Ones that aren’t just soy, and in aisles that aren’t just focused on meat alternatives.

Today, plant-based proteins have shown significant growth in several aisles, and we expect this trend to continue as the plant-based trend proliferates across entire stores.