Potato protein market growth driven by health trend: Summary
- The potato protein market is expected to see a CAGR of 6.05% between 2025 and 2030
- Demand for food grade potato protein is rising
- High digestibility and amino acid profile support sports nutrition use
- In terms of quality, potato protein rivals pork meat, casein and egg
- It is also allergen free and has strong sustainability credentials
The market for potato protein is growing. As consumers clamour for healthier options, manufacturers are looking for functionality and versatile ingredients.
The protein, once mainly used for animal feed, is increasingly seen as a food-grade ingredient. Could potato protein be a rival to soy, fava bean or pea?
Potato protein could see solid market growth
Potato protein will likely see solid market growth. Market intelligence company Mordor Intelligence predicts that it will have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.05% between 2025 and 2030. This is more than soy protein (5.25%) but less than fava bean (9.2%) or pea (6.15%).
Currently, feed-grade protein is the main driver of growth. However, market intelligence firm Future Market Insights predicts that it will soon begin to skew towards food grade.
“Expect value growth to skew toward food-grade isolates and specialised systems, with the highest momentum where efficacy, clean labels, and processing tolerance are non-negotiable”, says Nandini Roy Choudhury, principal consultant for Future Market Insights.
Unlike the market for feed grade potato protein, the food grade market is relatively young, beginning in the early 2000s when facilities began extracting potato protein for human purposes.
If the plant-based category rebounds, if hybrid meat scales, and if the premiumisation of performance nutrition continues, growth could improve further.
Why the market is growing
Several factors are driving this outcome. Firstly, suggests Future Market Insights’ Choudhury, consumers want nutrition. Potato protein’s amino acid profile and digestibility places it in a good position to be used for sports nutrition and active ageing.
Strong functionality makes it more desirable for the B2B market as well. “Strong foaming, emulsifying, and gelling performance allows formulators to reduce eggs, stabilise emulsions, and build texture in plant-based meat, bakery, dressings, and beverages”.
Thirdly, supply is considered to be reliable, with European starch processors improving their ability to extract the protein from potato juice, improving the sector’s yield and consistency. Valorising a side-stream from the potato industry, the potato protein sector also has keen sustainability credentials.
Another driver of growth is that it is allergen-free. Potato protein does not contain allergens such as lactose or gluten, making it well suited to a world where allergies are consistently increasing, points out Mordor Intelligence.
As the market evolves, nutritional evidence that potato protein is good for building muscle provides a further driver of growth.
Protein quality as a driver of growth
Protein quality is a key driver of the market’s growth, explains Future Market Insights’ Choudhury.
Specifically, the nutritional quality of protein is a key driver. “Isolates can achieve high digestibility and quality scores and provide meaningful essential amino-acid levels, enabling credible performance claims in recovery-oriented shakes, bars, and specialised medical nutrition,” Choudhury explains.
“That makes potato protein a viable alternative for consumers avoiding dairy or soy, particularly where tolerance and amino-acid profile are scrutinised.”
The pull of potato protein is found in part in this nutritional quality, as consumers are increasingly preoccupied with health and wellbeing.
Protein quality is just as important as quantity for human health. Not all proteins have the same quality, and in many cases animal proteins – dairy, eggs, and meat – are of higher quality than plant-based.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. According to one study, which used the protein quality measure Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), potato matched the quality of pork meat, egg and casein.
Because of this high quality, as well as its functionality, versatility and allergen-free nature, potato protein has a lot of potential.
