Protein‑claim products rising
- Circana’s 2025 New Product Pacesetters report says U.S. shoppers are buying more high-protein foods, helping launches like Legendary Foods and Real Good Foods break into the year’s top new packaged-goods list. - The report says 32% of consumers are seeking new food products that are high in protein, up 6 percentage points since 2021, as brands push protein claims beyond shakes and bars. - Protein demand is also reshaping beverages: SPINS said RTD protein drove 11% of beverage shelf expansion in the year ended Jan. 26, 2025. (tropicanabrandsgroup.com)
Protein is moving from a sports-nutrition niche into mainstream packaged food, and retailers are giving more space to products that say so on the label. (tropicanabrandsgroup.com) (spins.com) Circana said in its 2025 New Product Pacesetters report that 32% of consumers are looking for new food products that are high in protein. That is up 6 percentage points from 2021. (tropicanabrandsgroup.com) The same report tied that demand to healthier-lifestyle trends and to consumers using glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, or GLP-1s, for weight loss and health goals. Circana said high-protein diets can work alongside those regimens by helping preserve muscle mass. (tropicanabrandsgroup.com) That demand is showing up in product rankings, not just survey data. Legendary Foods and Real Good Foods both appeared in Circana’s 2024 Top 100 Food and Beverage New Product Pacesetters, alongside energy and snack launches. (tropicanabrandsgroup.com) Beverages are one of the clearest places the shift is visible. SPINS said ready-to-drink protein accounted for 11% of beverage shelf expansion in the 52 weeks ended Jan. 26, 2025, using natural-channel and multi-outlet data powered by Circana. (spins.com) Beverage Industry, citing NielsenIQ vice president Sherry Frey, reported that protein drinks are benefiting from consumers prioritizing active lifestyles and physical well-being. Frey said the category is also expanding beyond traditional retailers. (digitaledition.bevindustry.com) The labeling push has rules behind it. The Food and Drug Administration says “protein” statements on food packaging fall under nutrient-content and related labeling claims, and products have to meet federal requirements to make those claims. (fda.gov) (ecfr.gov) That is why the trend is spreading unevenly across shelves. Drinks, bars, frozen meals and snacks can add protein and advertise it quickly, while other categories have to balance taste, texture, formulation costs and labeling thresholds. (digitaledition.bevindustry.com) (fda.gov) The result is a grocery aisle where “high protein” is becoming a broader merchandising strategy, not just a nutrition fact. The products winning space are the ones that pair convenience with a clear protein message shoppers can spot fast. (tropicanabrandsgroup.com) (spins.com)
