Protein stopped being a supplement and became the baseline

Protein has stopped being a fitness accessory and turned into a social expectation: 86% of Americans say they are actively trying to add more of it to their diets, and foods carrying protein claims are growing at more than 7% a year in the US while everything else sits in low single digits. Ten years ago it came in tubs and shaker bottles. Now it is in crisps, pancakes and bagels.

GLP-1 medications reduce appetite and slow gastric emptying, so when people eat less, what they do eat has to carry more. Protein supports satiety and helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss, which moves it from aspirational to practical. Retail growth of 6.8% in protein bars, 7.2% in sports powders and 7.4% in ready-to-drink beverages is what that looks like on a shelf.

The engineering is the hard part. Protein stresses taste, texture, shelf life and processing and forces trade-offs that limit scale, and it now has to fit inside reformulation work already cutting sugar and sodium, more than 60% of all food and beverage activity.

That does not mean the grocery industry is being redesigned around people on these medicines. One snack brand is putting 10 grams of protein into a 1oz serving of a chip still sold on flavour and crunch, and 70% of consumers say they want protein in salty snacks.

Read the full story at Bakery & Snacks ↗

Retatrutide is investigational and is not FDA-approved. Other medicines referenced here are covered as third-party news for educational awareness only. Catalyst does not present this information as medical advice, treatment guidance, or a claim of safety, efficacy, or approval.