A new report has found that half of UK consumers are now aware of the health benefits protein can offer.

In research by Canadean, it was revealed that 49% of consumers were now ‘very aware’ of health benefits related to eating protein - a trend that has taken off with ‘protein enriched’ breads and other such products.

Almost 20% of all participants said they would actively seek groceries that are high in protein, and 68% of people said they would substitute protein shakes for alternative sources from fortified food and drink products.

Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean, said: “These results indicate that ingredients and food manufacturers have successfully turned the demand for protein from a short-term fad into a long-term, sustainable trend.

“The continued challenge for manufacturers is to effectively use the new protein ingredients available on the market to create convenient and tasty protein enriched food and drinks for consumers, who are increasingly seeking a variety of new, protein-rich offerings.”

Companies like Edme ingredients and British Bakels are now offering products which enable bakers to increase the protein levels in their loaves, thereby adding to the number of health benefits a product can claim, such as ‘low GI’. 

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