Lupin Protein Market

Rising Focus on Plant-based Products & Ingredients

Consumers around the world have become increasingly conscious about their health and wellness.

Their mindful approach towards health and fitness is giving tailwinds to the adoption of vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diet. This shift in preference is often spurred by one of the three factors - personal health, animal welfare, and environmental concerns.

These concerns are elevated by social media posts insinuating potential side effects of animal-based protein.

Besides these factors, companies are investing in an array of marketing campaigns to spread the word on health benefits of plant-based diets. Their efforts are reflected in higher adoption of vegan and vegetarian lifestyle across the world.

For instance, there’s been a 600% increase in people identifying themselves as vegans in the U.S in the last three years, which is indicative of exponentially rising trend of veganism.

Conscious food habits of consumers are compelling manufacturers to offer plant-based ingredients. This inevitably creates lucrative growth prospects for lupin protein suppliers to capitalize on.

Demand for Clean Label Ingredients Augurs Well for the Market

Awareness regarding consumption is presently moving to the idea of deep-rooted transparency. The latest technologies have provided consumers better accessibility to smart labels, through which, they can track the journey of the products and check them on the basis of their individual qualities.

Modern consumers are seeking improved transparency regarding ingredients used, going beyond free-from status, ingredients, and nutritional levels.

They are more interested in understanding the background of the products; from where and how ingredients used were sourced, right till the end product.

On the flip side, there aren't any strict regulations and guidelines laid down by governments regarding clean labelling. Some of the companies have started using clean labelling as a catchword for promotional and marketing activities.

However, better awareness among consumers is compelling manufacturers to adopt cleaner practices and ensure better transparency about ingredients used to curb the risk of alienating the trust of consumers.

 This trend is expected to augur well for the lupin protein suppliers, providing them lucrative scope of luring consumers.

Rising Demand for Gluten-free Food will Boost Lupin Protein Consumption

Popularity of lupin-derived flour is expected to grow manifold, especially since it is considered a healthier substitute for their grain-based flour.

Avoiding gluten has become a widespread practice in the U.S, especially with over 100 million Americans consuming gluten-free products, most of whom do not have celiac disease.

Interestingly, this trend has strengthened the United States’ footprint in the global market for gluten-free food. The U.S. currently accounts for the leading share in the market.

Rising population of 'gluten-avoiders' and awareness regarding the many benefits of gluten-free food products are fuelling the demand for vegan or plant-ingredients such as lupin protein.

While still at a nascent stage compared to grain-based alternatives, products containing lupin protein are wiftly covering shelf-spaces across retail aisles.

Brand Awareness a Key Focus Area for Lupin Protein Companies

Strong branding, marketing, and promotional strategies by companies are anticipated to boost the lupin protein market over the forecast period.

Some of them are adopting innovative strategies for branding their products. For instance, they are targeting a certain group of consumers before determining strategies to adopt for effective branding and promotion.

Some of the companies are going digital to reach a wider base of consumers. They are using various social media platforms to create awareness about their brands.

Other companies such as Barentz B.V. are taking part in various food exhibitions as a part of their promotional activity to showcase various applications of the ingredient.

Focus on R&D Poised to Surge

Investing in research and development (R&D) activities and new product development initiatives will help in developing ideas and technologies needed to formulate a range of highly functional lupin protein products.

Market players are also expected to invest in R&D initiatives to ensure better efficacy of the existing product line. Through this they intend to establish a stronghold in the global market.

The development of new varieties of lupin, so-called “sweet lupin? with low alkaloid (bitter substances) and high protein content has resulted in a renewed interest in utilization of lupin as source of proteins in human and animal nutrition.

Concerns about Potential Side-effects Limiting Wider Adoption

As with most food allergens, people can develop an allergy to lupin over time. For people who have an existing legume allergy, eating lupin could cause an allergic reaction on first exposure. Studies show that people who are allergic to peanuts, in particular, appear to have a greater chance of being allergic to lupin.

Although, lupin is a food staple for many Europeans, who may be more aware of its allergenic properties and are accustomed to seeing it listed as a food ingredient—it is relatively new to the U.S. market.

Many consumers in the US may not have heard of this legume, which can be found in the form of lupin beans at Italian and other ethnic specialty stores. Information pertaining to the possible side effects of lupin continues to be deterrent to wider adoption.

In June 2017, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) warned consumers about lupine (also called lupin), as both the beans and the flour made from the legumes are known to cause reactions in about 20 percent of individuals who have an allergy to peanuts. Such advisory can restrict the market across certain regions to an extent.

Top Lupin Protein Brands in the Market

As the competitive landscape shifts in tandem with changing consumer desires, companies are updating their production systems to meet new needs.

The market players are already struggling to keep pace with consumption needs amid natural and economic pressures. To battle scarcity, react to climate changes, and meet the consumption needs of a growing urban population, market players are introducing various technological advancements in their production systems.

In order to create a niche amid competitive environment, it is imperative for companies to anticipate changing consumer needs and promptly respond to the same.

FMI profiles some of the leading companies in the market. These include:

Americas

• Aminola BV
• A. Constantino & C. S.p.A

Europe

• Prolupin Gmbh
• FRANK Food Products
• Lup’Ingredients

Asia Pacific

• Coorow Seeds
• Barentz B.V.

Lupin Protein Market: Region Wise Analysis

Europe lupin protein market remains one of the most lucrative globally. Yellow, white, and narrow-leafed lupins are native to the region and have emerged as a potential alternative to rid Europe of its soya bean woes.

Europe’s heavy reliance on soya bean imports often result in issues pertaining to trade agreements and unsatisfactory quality standard. The market is gradually shifting focus towards lupin considering their elevated protein content and potential health benefits.

Europe is currently exhibiting high demand for sustainable production. Producers in the region have therefore adopted advanced breeding techniques to provide novel varieties of lupin. These processes are optimized to derive safe and high quality lupin protein ingredient. Producers are adopting various integrated strategies to establish lupin as an alternative crop with high protein content, also capable of ensuring various environmental benefits.

In Europe, the market will gain from notable developments in the food and beverage industry. Stricter monitoring of unfair trade practices (UTPs) implemented by the European Commission (EC) will bring the market under stringent scrutiny.

Pricing is a crucial variable in the market that clearly controls the uptake and demand of lupin protein.

It is also interesting to note that price per ton of target products around the globe differs at a significant ratio, yet reflects similar pattern of variance.

In the global lupin protein market, the derived weighted average selling prices of is near 6000/MT for protein isolates, near 5000/MT for protein isolates, near 7000/MT for flour and above 7000/MT for other product types.

Graph below presents a perspective of price variance across regions and key segment categories.

Lupin Protein: The Way Forward

Marketing and branding plays crucial role in attracting and retaining customers to a profit in the lupin market. Manufacturers are therefore constantly updating their production techniques and working towards strengthening their marketing strategies to gain competitive edge.

There is also ample focus towards developing a strong supply chain network, linking the processing units and retail points.

Several companies are leveraging their social media presence to build a strong brand identity.

For instance, they are reaching out to fitness influencers and promoting the benefits of healthy eating across social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to reach a widespread community of audiences.

Their efforts are expected to reap positive results, educating consumers about various health benefits and quality of lupin. Generally speaking, the demand for organic ingredients is skyrocketing around the world. This will bode well for the overall lupin market in the near future.

Key Segment

Nature

• Conventional
• Organic

End- Use

• Food Processing
• Meat Alternatives
• Bakery Products
• Confectionery
• Snacks & Cereals
• Meat-Based Products
• Others
• Animal Feed
• Livestock
• Cattle
• Swine
• Poultry
• Pet Food
• Aqua feed
• Nutraceuticals
• Sports Nutrition
• Infant Nutrition

Product Type

• Protein Isolates
• Protein Concentrates
• Flour
• Other Product Type

Process Type

• Protein Isolates
• Protein Concentrates
• Flour
• Other Product Type

Process Type

• Dry Processing
• Wet Processing

Global

• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• East Asia
• South Asia
• Oceania
• MEA