Partner Michael Stott has been featured in Food and Drink Technology, Food Business News, Food & Drink International, The Plant Base, Meat and Poultry, IndexBox, DairyNews, Baking & Snack and eDairy News, discussing the surging demand for high-protein and ‘functional’ foods.
His commentary highlights how global patent applications for high-protein foods hit a record high in 2026, with the mission to increase protein content whilst preserving taste and texture opening new opportunities for innovation and valuable intellectual property.
Read the extended press release below
- Health-conscious consumers driving up demand for ‘functional foods’
- Food companies drawing on insect and plant proteins to enrich products
The number of global patent applications for high-protein foods hit a record high of 5,626 in the year to 30 June 2026, up from 5,148 the previous year, as strong consumer demand spurs innovation in food technology, shows new research by leading intellectual property law firm Mathys & Squire*.
In the space of five years, there has been an 80% increase in the number of patent applications filed compared with the 3,122 filings made in the year to 30 June 2021.
Growth in demand for high-protein foods has historically been driven by consumers seeking to lose weight or support muscle growth and has become mainstream as eating preferences have evolved. New US Dietary Guidelines have inverted the traditional food pyramid to place protein at its base and the growing impact of GLP-1s on eating habits has signalled a move to still greater protein consumption.
Michael Stott, Partner at Mathys & Squire, says: “Demand for high-protein foods is so strong that manufacturers are looking for every possible way to add protein to their best-selling products. That has fuelled a wave of innovation in the food industry.”
“The goal for a lot of major food manufacturers has been to increase the protein content of some of their products, without changing the taste or appearance consumers expect. That is not an easy task and food manufacturers have been exploring new and disruptive approaches to achieving that goal, even using insect proteins to recreate conventional foods.”
“The current trend towards high-protein foods is in some ways a natural continuation of the earlier drive to develop meat alternatives. Many of the techniques originally developed for meat alternatives are now being used to create high-protein versions of a much wider range of foods.”
“This research is creating a vast library of hugely valuable intellectual property for food companies. Over time, that IP becomes a significant component of their valuations.”
Food giants Nestlé (58 patents), Cargill (46) and Arla (28) are among the world’s top patent filers for high-protein food technologies. Examples of the technologies which were the subject of patent applications last year include:
- A high-protein dough made with whey microparticles that can be used in pastries.
- A plant-based whipping cream with more than twice the protein content of traditional whipping cream.
- A protein ingredient developed from microorganisms that can be used in industrial confectionery.
- A ready-to-drink, high-protein beverage that replicates the smell, texture and flavour of milk.
Number of new patents for high-protein foods rose 80% over the last five years
*The research considers patent applications published between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. Source: PATENTSCOPE, World Intellectual Property Organisation.
