Pea protein – a widely available alternative to soy – has become an in-demand formulation option as ‘proteinmaxxing’ moves from social media into people’s everyday lives.
Its popularity within the food and beverage industry is largely attributable to pea protein’s versatility, according to Benjamin Voiry, Head of Marketing for Plant Proteins at French ingredients provider Roquette.
Pea protein isn’t just about avoiding the drawbacks of other ingredients – it’s about adding value and appeal to the foods and drinks that consumers today want to purchase
“It performs well across many food and beverage applications, which isn’t necessarily the case with other sources of protein,” he said.
“Pea protein is far more than just an alternative to soy; of course, the fact it’s not a major allergen and has no GMO content is advantageous, but pea protein isn’t just about avoiding the drawbacks of other ingredients – it’s about adding value and appeal to the foods and drinks that consumers today want to purchase.”
From the consumer perspective, Nico Koch, Product Marketing Manager for Proteins (EMEA) at US nutrition company ADM, told Food Formulator that “the proteinmaxxing trend is…driving demand for protein inclusion across food and beverage categories, and awareness and use of anti-obesity medications, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, is further increasing consumers’ focus on nutritional value, particularly protein and fibre.”
A recent report from the company’s ADM Outside Voice consumer insights and research platform (the Global Protein Consumer Discovery Report, 2025) found that 73% of global plant-forward consumers considered pea protein ‘healthy or nutritious.’ Additionally, 41% perceived it as ‘tasty’ and 31% as ‘clean or natural.’
A no-compromise protein boost
Recent technical advances have resulted in ingredients that boost protein content in an existing food matrix with minimal negative impact on taste and texture, Voiry explained.
Roquette’s pea protein innovation focuses on taste and texture with ingredients like NUTRALYS Pea 850F, “which improves taste in even the most demanding formulations, like products with an indulgent positioning or a very high protein content.”
For texture, the company recently introduced NUTRALYS T PEA 700XC. The large-chunk textured pea protein provides “outstanding bite, juiciness and appearance in plant-based meat and hybrid meat formulations,” said Voiry.
Other pea protein launches in 2026 include H2-IZO from American pea protein specialist Puris, which was developed for high-protein beverage and dairy alternative formulations, and is said to offer a smoother, lighter sensory experience with fewer ingredients.
Ingredion, meanwhile, expanded its Vitessence Pea 100 HD into Europe this year, following a 2024 US and Canada launch; Ingredion’s highly-functional pea protein is designed to solve the hardening effect that can plague chewy cold-pressed protein bars as they age.
Awareness and use of anti-obesity medications, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, is further increasing consumers’ focus on nutritional value, particularly protein and fibre
Launched in 2026 in North America, ADM’s new Pea Flour is neutral in colour and flavour to support preferred sensorial attributes while providing both protein and fibre, with no allergen labelling required.
Koch explained that it is designed for batters and breadings, “supporting the full sensory experience of plant-based meat alternatives, such as breaded chicken nuggets.”
More broadly, the company’s textured pea and pea protein isolates offer functional properties like viscosity, emulsification and binding to help deliver the desired texture and bite in hybrid and plant-based applications.
“Our regionally-sourced AccelFlex textured pea proteins – available in North America and Europe – support important textural characteristics in plant-based meat alternatives,” Koch told Food Formulator.
“Plus, our reduced-sodium ProFam Pea 572 and 573, which is produced in North America, helps enable better-for-you, high-protein innovations across dairy alternatives, ready-to-drink beverages, extruded snacks and baked goods.”
