Menu
As protein snacking ramps up in China, brands are exploring how to include protein in their snacks to meet this trend. Explore consumer insights, challenges, and ingredient solutions.
Consumer interest in healthier choices is driving protein snacking in China.
Protein claims have increased significantly in recent snack product launches.
Protein is the #1 ingredient Chinese consumers look for in a snack.
Consumers have protein snacks for many occasions and reasons beyond workouts.
Provon CFMTM Whey Protein Isolate boosts protein without taste and texture impacts.
Healthy snack brand ffit8 continues to reshape the snacking landscape in China. New products like its recent Nougat Protein Bar show how brands can generate excitement through innovative taste and texture, while providing in-demand nutrition.
More than half of Chinese consumers check the nutrition label when they seek out snacks.1 This drive to make healthier snacking choices is behind the significant recent growth in protein snacking in China.
In the past four years, the number of snack products launched with protein claims has grown at a CAGR of +51%.2 These snacks meet many different lifestyle needs.
Today’s consumers use protein bars and protein-enhanced snacks for more than workouts, including during work and school breaks (31%) and while watching sports or concerts (33%).3
| For a mental break or to reduce stress | 35% |
| For energy to refocus or refuel for the day | 34% |
| As a better-for-you treat or reward | 33% |
| For morning energy and nutrition to fuel the day | 33% |
| As a meal substitute | 32% |
| To have something really tasty | 31% |
Healthy snacking has become even more frequent than indulgent snacking, with 46% eating a healthy snack at least once a day compared to 38% for an indulgent snack.4 Nothing signals “healthy” like protein.
Protein is the number one ingredient consumers in China (and globally) look for in their snacks, just ahead of probiotics and vitamins.5 Nearly half (47%) of Chinese consumers actively seek protein in their snack choices.6
Simply adding protein to a snack shifts how consumers perceive it. Consumer research shows that while traditional snacks like chips and sweets are more likely to be rated unhealthy than healthy, these same types of snacks enhanced with protein are perceived as healthy by most consumers.7
Fortunately, advanced ingredient innovation in protein has made it much easier for brands to boost the protein levels in their snack products—including chips, crackers, extruded snacks (like puffs), bars, and bakery products.
Glanbia Nutritionals’ dairy-derived Provon CFMTM Whey Protein Isolate is a top choice for snack fortification. As a neutral-flavored, highly concentrated whey protein produced through cross-flow microfiltration, Provon CFMTM allows brands to make protein claims without impacting taste or texture.
The unique cross-flow microfiltration process produces a soluble whey protein isolate with minimal lactose and fat. With a protein content of 90%, less is needed to reach protein targets compared to other whey proteins.
Challenges in reformulating snacks to improve their nutrition profile are most often related to sensory attributes, such as taste and texture. Among Chinese consumers, taste is the most important attribute of a protein bar, for example, but also the biggest barrier to the category.8
Using a high-quality protein and choosing bold, vibrant flavors can help overcome these obstacles. Glanbia Nutritionals’ formulation expertise is valuable in guiding slight process modifications, if needed, to achieve the precise texture desired, whether crispy, crunchy, chewy, or creamy.
Ffit8 is a brand that has seized the opportunity to advance protein beyond protein powders for fitness to delicious mainstream snacks like bars, wafers, cookies, and rolls in both sweet and savory flavors (such as egg yolk and sea salt cheese flavors).
The brand has done well by delivering protein nutrition without compromising on the sensory experience consumers expect from a snack. The latest launch of its Nougat Protein Bar provides yet another exciting new option for healthy snacking consumers. It offers the creamy taste and chewy texture of high protein, sugar-free nougat in a cranberry flavor.
As protein continues to expand in snack products, brands that embrace this trend toward healthier formulations will attract more consumers, strengthen their market position, and drive long-term growth in an evolving snacking landscape.
Contact us to learn more about protein snacking options for your brand or company.