GLP-1 users drive protein demand

Agweek reported on May 18 that GLP-1 medications are helping push more U.S. shoppers toward protein-rich foods, including meat and dairy. The publication said retailers and manufacturers are seeing stronger demand for high-protein products and whole foods as more consumers on the drugs eat smaller meals and try to make those meals count nutritionally. (agweek.com) Agweek also said the shift is showing up beyond the dairy case and meat counter, extending into prepared foods and other grocery categories. (news.cornell.edu) Cornell University research published in December found that households cut grocery spending by an average of 5.3% within six months of starting a GLP-1 medication, while spending at fast-food and other limited-service restaurants fell about 8%. (cobank.com) That helps explain why food companies are focusing less on total volume and more on what remains in the basket. ### Why would appetite-suppressing drugs increase demand for protein? Phil Plourd, president of Ever.Ag Insights, said protein becomes more important when people eat fewer calories. “Those calories need to count more,” he said in a February Dairy Herd report on GLP-1 use and dairy demand. (agweek.com) The same report said GLP-1 users are not cutting purchases evenly across the store. Plourd said shoppers on the drugs are reducing spending more on indulgent items such as chips, savory snacks, soft drinks and ice cream, while protein-rich foods fit better with a nutrition-per-calorie mindset. (news.cornell.edu) ### Which foods are benefiting most? Agweek said meat and dairy are among the clearest beneficiaries of the shift. Its related video report said the rise in GLP-1 use is increasing demand for protein and whole foods, tying the change directly to agriculture and food supply chains. Dairy Herd reported on February 4 that cottage cheese, yogurt, milk and protein beverages align with what GLP-1 users are actively seeking. (dairyherd.com) The same article said cheese and ice cream can fare differently because they are more likely to be treated as discretionary purchases. ### What are manufacturers and retailers doing with that shift? (dairyherd.com) CoBank said in a February report that food and beverage manufacturers are moving quickly with new offerings aimed at protein-focused consumers. The bank said dairy-based ingredients such as whey, casein and milk powders are increasingly being used in baked goods, protein bars, ready-to-drink shakes and other products beyond the traditional dairy aisle. (agweek.com) Corey Geiger, CoBank’s lead dairy economist, said dairy is well placed to benefit because milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese already have strong protein credentials. He said dairy products contain all nine essential amino acids required in the human diet, giving processors a selling point as manufacturers reformulate or launch higher-protein products. (dairyherd.com) ### Does this mean people are buying more food overall? Cornell’s findings point the other way on total spending. The university said grocery bills fall after households begin GLP-1 treatment, especially among higher-income households, where the decline was more than 8% in the first six months. (cobank.com) What appears to be changing is mix, not just volume. Agweek described a basket that is tilting toward protein and whole foods, while Ever.Ag’s Plourd said the pressure is heavier on snacks, sweets and sugary drinks than on nutrient-dense options. ### Where does this go next? Agweek’s May 18 report and CoBank’s February analysis both point to the same next step: more protein-focused product launches across grocery and prepared foods. (hartdesign.com) Ever.Ag has also been tracking what Plourd called the next phase of GLP-1 demand disruption, including how wider adoption could affect restaurants, grocery spending and commodity markets. (agweek.com) (news.cornell.edu)