UK supermarkets race into high-protein ranges as whey prices double

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โดย Yahoo Finance UK·GB·Read original
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UK supermarkets are racing to launch high-protein product lines as demand for weight-loss drugs reshapes the way shoppers eat. Morrisons has launched a range of 53 products with Applied Nutrition, including high-protein bread, cheese, pasta, ice cream and pizza, while Sainsbury's has introduced its High Protein and Small but Mighty ranges and Marks & Spencer is selling a 20-product Nutrient Dense line. Ocado has opened a virtual weight management aisle and Waitrose is rolling out physical Wellbeing Bays across its shops. The shift is being driven in part by GLP-1 appetite-suppressing drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, with NHS prescribing data showing more than 1.3 million people in England were taking GLP-1 medications in 2025, up from just 200,000 three years earlier. The ingredient at the centre of the boom is whey protein, and Expana data show the European price of WPC80, a whey protein concentrate containing 80pc protein, more than doubled in a year to almost €26,000 a tonne in August from about €11,700 a tonne a year earlier. Applied Nutrition, the British sports and wellness company, says whey was the only raw material in its supply chain to see significant price volatility last year, with the average price it paid about 30pc higher than the previous year; its protein sales grew from £26.1m to £32m during the year, though gross margin dipped slightly. Myprotein, owned by London-listed THG, says weight-loss drugs are accelerating interest in higher-protein, nutrient-dense products, and analysts estimate supermarkets have already taken an £800m hit to sales from the advent of GLP-1 drugs as shoppers cut back on snacks and treats.

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