What's with all the added protein in food? Is it necessary?

You’ve probably seen the claims in bold, colourful text on packages in the supermarket.

“Protein +”

“Good source of protein”

“Increased protein”

“Protein chips”

“Sparkling protein” as in a fizzy drink.

Wait. Can a fizzy drink have protein? Apparently, it can. A Love Muscle can of soda contains 15 grams of protein, similar to the protein in one chicken wing. Soda isn't something we normally associate with protein, driving home the point that the food industry is rushing to add protein wherever it can. And you will likely be buying said protein product at a marked-up price.

Partly driven by research into the benefits of protein and then hijacked by food marketers and fitness influencers, protein is having a moment. But is more protein necessary for most people?

In the past decade, people have constantly approached Steph Sisson, a food technologist by trade, with various ideas for high-protein products.

“If I heard another person say they had an idea for a protein powder, I think I was going to hit them," she told RNZ.

“It goes through cycles.... Suddenly, everyone is like ‘Oh, I want to do oat milk,’ and then that’s gone. ‘I want to do collagen powder,' and now that’s gone.”

Foods with added protein or food where the protein content is emphasised through marketing can come with what the food and nutrition industry calls a halo effect, according to Helen Gibbs, a Dunedin-based dietitian.

“Many of these high-protein products are ultra-processed foods. If you look at the label, you won't find those ingredients in your house,” she said, adding that dietitians almost always steer their patients towards whole foods such as dairy, meat or sources of plant-based proteins such as legumes.

If you turn to the wellness corner of social media for your nutritional advice, 100 grams of protein per day is often touted as the goal. That differs from New Zealand nutritional advice of 65 grams or 0.84 grams per kilo of body weight for most men and 46 grams or 0.75 grams per kilo of body weight for most women. Protein needs increase after the age of 70, according to the guidelines.

For Gibbs, she generally suggests a higher amount - one gram of protein per kilo of body weight.

“And yes, there are some groups that need [a higher protein diet]. So people who perhaps are recovering from surgery. That's the kind of group that might need a lot more, and they may actually benefit from high-protein products.”

Dr Sylvia Goedeke, a dietitian from Fearless Nutrition, says that those wanting to change their body composition - increasing muscle mass and lowering body fat - could aim for 1.6 grams per kilo of body weight. Women in perimenopause and menopause, where bone density and muscle mass can decrease, should also watch their protein intake, she says.

“If you want to increase your muscle mass, then you need to have an excess of protein so that your body has those raw materials to build muscle, which shows that you actually need to have pretty much double that [government] recommended daily intake.”

While Goedeke sees ultra-processed foods like protein chips as unnecessary, she is a fan of high-protein yogurts and using protein powder to, for example, boost protein in a breakfast smoothie.

“Those are really handy, convenient foods...”

Then there is the issue of affordability. Ironically, those who don’t get enough protein are the least likely to be able to afford added protein products, or well-marketed products already high in protein. These products are typically targeted to middle and upper-class consumers.

“People on low income can't afford a balanced diet, so they are more likely to get insufficient protein,” wrote Gibbs in a follow-up email.

Marketing claims in New Zealand foods are regulated by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, according to Jan Hales, a nutritionist and food marketing consultant from Nutrition Bureau. A product needs at least five grams of protein per serve just to call out protein on the packaging. To use the terms “good source” or “high” in protein, a serving must deliver at least 10 grams of protein. A health claim like “builds muscle” or another specific claim must meet additional requirements, says Hales.

However, the claims are not routinely policed by officials once the product is on the shelf, says Hales.

“I have seen instances where [deceptive] claims are made for years and nothing is done publicly," she says, adding that often it is a competitor that points out the discrepancy between marketing and product.

New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle says in a statement that the vast majority of businesses market their nutrition honestly, and the department welcomes complaints against deceptive food claims.

Those wanting to create something like a protein bar will often start with the marketing claims they want to make, says Sisson, the food technologist. However, creating products that taste good and hit all the desired marketing slogans of the wellness community - high protein, low carbs, low calories, high fibre - is tricky.

“It’s going to taste like cardboard. That’s the problem. You need the fat in there, even if it sounds counterintuitive, to make it taste good.”