Inside FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ protein strategy - amid a whey shortage

Protein boom summary: what’s driving demand today?

• Protein demand is surging driven by wellness, healthy ageing and GLP‑1 use
• Whey protein growth expected to rise, particularly in the US
• Global whey shortages are emerging as demand rapidly outpaces available capacity
• FrieslandCampina Ingredients is investing heavily to expand global whey production
• Innovation targets new formats including bars drinks and clear whey beverages

Signals of a high‑protein boom are everywhere. Supermarket aisles are packed with protein‑enriched food and drink, the “everyday athlete” trend is prompting more macronutrient tracking than ever, and even takeaway coffee is getting a protein glow up (protein‑enriched foam, anyone?)

But for the clearest sign that protein is dominating eating occasions, look no further than the breakfast menu of Anne Peter Lindeboom, president of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a business thriving on soaring demand for dairy proteins.

Lindeboom, along with FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ parent company FrieslandCampina, is Dutch. And like many in the Netherlands, he grew up starting the day with a solid breakfast of hagelslag: sweet chocolate sprinkles liberally scattered over buttered bread. “I’ve now given up my Dutch breakfast sandwich and switched to high‑protein yoghurt,” he says, admitting even he has caught the high‑protein bug. “I decided I wanted more protein at the start of the day and after exercise.”

He is far from alone. Protein is booming, and the business unit he leads is working hard to keep up. But amid a whey shortage, that is not always easy. Strategy matters, and FrieslandCampina Ingredients is pulling on two key levers to meet the challenge.

The biggest trend of the moment? Protein with a capital ‘P’

That protein is the biggest trend of the moment gets no pushback from Lindeboom, who is unwavering in his conviction that within FrieslandCampina Ingredients, protein has the most momentum – and that’s “protein with a capital ‘P’”.

Although not new – demand for protein’s been bubbling away in the background for some years – the speed with which it’s surfaced is surprising. So what’s fuelling the trend?

A growing overall trend for wellness is a big part of it, according to the FrieslandCampina Ingredients chief. These days, consumers are not only more aware of nutrition, but also want to enjoy it in a different way to the generation before them. That means health, but no compromise. “Let’s call it wellness indulgence.”

Next up comes healthy ageing, something that younger consumers are thinking about more and more. Even Lindeboom at the ripe age of almost 50 is considering what longevity means for him (and has made peace with the fact that chocolate sprinkles may not be the panacea he’d hoped for a long, healthy life). Like Lindeboom, many consumers are making conscious decisions to promote healthy ageing, whether that be to aim for better quality sleep, move more, or eat better – which is where protein comes in.

The other obvious factor driving protein consumption in the age of appetite suppressants is the rise of GLP-1 drugs. Although not yet to the same extent as healthy ageing, FrieslandCampina Ingredients is already beginning to feel the GLP-1 effect. And that’s expected to grow: it’s predicted that up to 40% of US adults could try GLP-1 drugs in their lifetime. “If pills end up replacing injections, total protein demand could amplify significantly,” says Lindeboom.

The proof is in the data. For whey proteins alone, the business is observing 6-7% growth globally, and that’s even higher in the US. Add GLP-1 consumers to that, and whey protein growth is expected to rise to 10-11%.

A booming protein trend, but a whey shortage

Of all the protein ingredients on the market, dairy is right up there among the most popular. Whey is one, casein another. “From a consumer perspective, dairy proteins carry many positive traits, from nutritional composition to amino acid profile, satiety, and also versatility in applications,” says Lindeboom. ”They’re well suited to meet the kind of protein demand we’re seeing across the globe."

Demand for whey in particular appears to have skyrocketed, with industry struggling to meet that heightened demand. Although not everywhere, many regions are facing a whey shortage. The scarcity largely stems from the US market, according to Jasper Endlich, dairy market analyst at commodity analytics company Vesper. With suppliers selling well into 2026, whey protein isolate priced have soared.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients admits there are supply constraints, and agrees most capacity currently available on the market is being sold. There’s certainly no sense of oversupply. “Nobody is sitting on large stocks,” says Lindeboom. “But, more is coming.”

The first protein strategy? Capacity

And herein lies the business’ first prong to its protein strategy: capacity. To ensure it can fulfil orders today, and tomorrow given the projected skyrocketing of whey demand, FrieslandCampina Ingredients is making investments in whey capacity.

“We have several investment projects ongoing in the Netherlands, which redirect proteins currently going into feed or food into more high-end performance and active nutrition applications.”

Investments are also being made further afield, including in the US where it’s suggested the whey shortage is being felt most strongly. In recent months, FrieslandCampina Ingredients acquired Wisconsin Whey Protein to add whey protein isolate capacity. Wisconsin Whey is currently doubling its factory capacity, meaning even more volume will come online in the near future.

The move reinforces the business’ position that whey protein – and protein more generally – is an undeniable industry megatrend. “There’s definitely conviction in the industry that the protein trend is not just hype – it’s a trend and it’s here to stay."

The second? No more boring protein powders

Innovation leads the second part of FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ protein strategy. And that means expanding beyond traditional protein formats to help excite consumers and grow the market.

“Innovation means moving beyond boring protein powders,” says Lindeboom. “Consumers want bars, drinks, clear whey beverages, and better taste and texture.”

It also means innovating with a local focus. FriesandCampina Ingredients has a strong footprint in Asia, for example, where dairy trends can differ enormously. In some Asian countries, yoghurt is much less likely to lean on sour notes, which could mistakenly send the signal to a consumer the product is past its used-by date. That’s not the case in Lindeboom’s native Netherlands, where sour’s the norm – and sweet, a dessert.

And actually, dairy consumption in Asia remains in its early stage. As GDP rises, consumers seem to skip straight to premium and high-protein products, making way for the rise of sports nutrition, bars, and high-protein yoghurts.

Asia may still be catching up, but with consumers moving straight to premium protein products, the region’s high-protein moment is coming – and similarly, without the chocolate sprinkles.