The Great Big Bulk Up

The global protein market is experiencing a growth spurt, as fortified foods move from gym bag to shopping trolley. But with everything from chocolate to bread to ice cream being adulterated with the nutrient, what does it say about our insatiable hunger for extra muscle with every bite? MH unpacks the facts

- Oliver Thring

The change happened quietly, albeit suddenly. Once the chalky preserve of sweatbox changing rooms and elite sportsmen’s kitbags, protein has become the sexiest, most ubiquitous and most lucrative nutrient around.

Last year growth in Australian sales of items that list their protein content leapt by 22 per cent compared to 2 per cent in total grocery growth, according to Nielsen. And with the Aussie sports nutrition category growing at an annual rate of 14 per cent – it’s clear we just can’t get enough of it.

Of course, we expect to find whey in our post-gym shakes and bars. You’ve doubtless used them yourself, whether looking to build and sustain muscle or simply recover faster from your workouts. But this relatively niche market has breached its banks. Its appeal is blowing up. Yoghurt brands such as YoPRO and Chobani heavily market their protein content, as do liquid breakfast drinks like Up&Go. Meanwhile, the ‘healthy’ ice cream brand Halo Top, recently launched in Australia, now outsells all of its US competitors. This is in no small part due to its advertised 5g of protein per scoop – five times that in the kilojoule equivalent of a Ben & Jerry’s.

Other brands like Herman Brot have launched high-protein muesli and pasta while Coca-Cola has even created protein milk Fairlife, which the company’s executives anticipate will “rain money” for the brand.

Not even rain itself has escaped proteinification. Recently launched UK ‘water’ Vieve claims to be natural, sugar-free, fat-free and high-protein – a list of descriptors that could all be applied to a glass of tap water with one exception. Each bottle contains 20g of protein, mainly derived from collagen.