Italy Plant Protein Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Source (Pea, Rapeseed, Soy, Hempseed, Others), By Form (Protein Concentrates, Protein Isolates, Protein Hydrolysate), By Application (Dietary Supplement, Food And Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Animal Feed), And By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline) - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

The Italian plant protein market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.59% to reach a market size of US$1,087.269 million in 2027 from US$610.784 million in 2020.

The main reason for such a surge in this market is the target group of purchasers that have increasingly shifted their preferences away from traditional sources of protein like the ones that are derived from animals and dairy products. The new kind of dietary pattern that has been increasingly referred to as flexitarians, along with the long-established yet still increasing number of vegans, is also another driving factor toward the plant-based protein market. This preference is making the producers of plant-based end products like plant-based milk and burgers fortify and supplement, respectively, as well as increase the functionality of their products with plant-based proteins as their key ingredients. In this instance, there have been certain key developments in the market. In February 2020, Brenntag Food & Nutrition expanded its operations in Padua, Italy by establishing a state-of-the-art site. This brand-new location has integrated workplaces that cater to the application, creation, development, production, and distribution of food ingredients and solutions that are made available with an efficient logistics system. This expansion is said to boost the company’s distribution of complex functional fibers and plant-based proteins.

Health reasons and the proclivity to maintain a healthy lifestyle have led to a surge in functional beverage consumption, which is fueling the growth of the plant-based protein market in Italy.

The shifting trends of the global health regimes have led to a revolution of sorts that is steering health-conscious individuals due to their awareness of sustaining better health through dietary supplements that are boosting the plant protein market through sports nutrition consumption. Thus, with the right balance of nine essential amino acids, soy protein is one of the key contenders in the plant-based protein market, because soy protein is considered a complete protein. Further exemplified by the FDA’s approvals plant proteins like the aforementioned as well as pea proteins are gaining traction and driving the plant-based protein market.

High variations in climate and weather conditions have led to a significant shift in the agricultural capabilities of recent times.

 This is in part due to increasing GHG emissions resulting from animal husbandry, which has increased in epic proportion to feed millions of people. Thus, the resultant awareness is also driving the demand for plant-based proteins in the Italian market as they increasingly find their applications in food and beverage applications, among others.  Further, the rise of convenience snacking has also led to the inclusion of plant proteins in protein bars and other such edibles. The rise of convenience snacking has led to the supplementing of one’s diet with highly processed foods that have eventually led to a rise in non-communicable diseases in affluent nations. the improper balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates has been increasingly linked with the development of chronic and systemic ailments. Easy access to food from supermarkets has distorted the very idea of what farm-to-fork once meant. Thus, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impacts and are increasingly adding plant-based protein to their daily diet.

Recent Developments

• Brenntag Food & Nutrition opened a cutting-edge facility in Padua, Italy, in February 2020. The new facility houses executive offices, operational and administrative offices, and Chimab Spa. The entire focus of the centre is on the use, research, manufacture, and distribution of ingredients and solutions for food in conjunction with a productive logistics system. The website will help the business spread its line of sophisticated functional fibres including plant-based proteins.

COVID-19 Impact

All of the primary companies in the market for plant-based proteins benefited from the significant increase in plant-based product sales that COVID-19 brought about. Due to the epidemic, people started prioritizing their health more and shifted toward vegan and diets high in plant-based proteins. Flexitarians make up 25% of Italian customers, whereas plant-based eaters make up 6%. Additionally, Italy gave the organic designation the most weight among all of the European nations. A 61 percent majority of Italian consumers believe that plant-based food products should bear the organic label. Italians' preferred plant-based food items are potatoes, rice, and almonds: Potatoes as a primary ingredient in plant-based foods are preferred by 50% of respondents, followed by rice by 49% and almonds by 42%.

Segmentation

• By Source
  • Pea
  • Rapeseed
  • Soy
  • Hempseed
  • Others
• By Form
  • Protein Concentrates
  • Protein Isolates
  • Protein Hydrolysate
• By Application
  • Dietary Supplement
  • Food and Beverages
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Animal Feed
• By Distribution Channel
  • Online
  • Offline