Whey Protein Gains Ground and Challenges the Dairy Industry

Interest in whey protein and other protein ingredients was discussed at the Milk Summit, where the dairy industry examined opportunities for products with higher added value. Valter Galan, a partner at MilkPoint Ventures, said that developing such products could reduce the sector’s reliance on dairy commodities.

Galan said demand for protein supplements had initially been associated with gym users but had since broadened. “It was a movement that started with people at the gym, but today it is much more than that,” he said.

Foreign trade data showed increased Brazilian purchases of whey protein concentrate. According to a MilkPoint Mercado survey based on Comex Stat figures, Brazil imported 586 tonnes of whey protein concentrate in September, 7.2% more than in August. The source said that the rise in imports alone does not establish how domestic consumption has changed.

Across dairy products, Brazilian imports reached the equivalent of 243m litres of milk in September. Exports amounted to 5.4m litres on the same basis. The difference between the two flows was cited as part of the competitive environment facing the dairy chain.

The Milk Summit’s programme also covered milk quality, production efficiency and competitiveness. Its opening session on Wednesday the 14th brought together more than 700 participants, according to Rio Grande do Sul’s agriculture department.

Discussions at the event identified processing investment, access to markets and the ability to offer products suited to consumer preferences as requirements for turning interest in protein products into commercial results. The event’s focus therefore included both ingredient demand and the operational conditions affecting producers and dairy processors.