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Proteinflation hits UK consumers as high-protein ingredients soar in price
Expana data cited by BBC Business shows at least one widely used European whey price was 130% higher in late August than a year earlier, while UK demand has been boosted by higher-protein foods and weight-loss drugs.
Rising costs for protein supplements and high-protein foods are increasingly affecting UK consumers, a trend dubbed “proteinflation” by gym-goers and others who say they have been paying significantly more for whey shakes and protein powders.
According to a BBC Business story, one London gym user said the price of a protein product they buy had climbed to £120 by last year, and another consumer described monthly spending rising from about £45 a year earlier to around £60, as demand broadens beyond gym culture.
The article links part of the surge to expanding use of high-protein ingredients in everyday products, including high-protein versions of items like bagels and yoghurt, as well as newer demand from people using weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which can reduce appetite but encourage adequate protein intake.
BBC Business also points to supply constraints, citing global market intelligence platform Expana that showed a European price for a widely used type of high-protein whey was 130% higher in late August than a year earlier, and more than four times its level three years ago, with other dairy protein categories also reported as higher over the year.