Plant Protein Concentrates Market Report Scope & Overview:
The Plant Protein Concentrates Market was valued at USD 15.21 Billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 30.94 Billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 7.36% from 2026-2035.
The Plant Protein Concentrates Market growth is driven by the increased consumption of soy, pea, and other pulses as plant-based concentrates in meat analogs, dairy analogs, bakery products, snacks, and fortified drinks, as people move toward flexitarian and high-protein diets. In addition to providing food processors with an affordable alternative source of protein, plant protein concentrates also offer valuable functionalities of water binding and texture formation along with the benefits of having clean label and allergy-friendly positioning. The animal feed sector demand for plant-based concentrates continues to add volumes as fish meal and traditional protein meals are increasingly substituted by concentrated plant protein sources to manage feed costs.
In May 2026, ADM launched eight new types of plant proteins as food ingredients for manufacturers located in both North America and Europe, which includes textured and concentrated soy proteins under the Arcon brand names derived from European supply sources, highlighting the company’s focus on regionally concentrated meat and dairy substitutes.
Plant Protein Concentrates Market Trends
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Rising use of pea and faba bean concentrates in clean-label meat and dairy alternatives.
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Growing adoption of dry fractionation and air classification to lower processing energy and cost.
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Expanding demand for neutral-tasting concentrates enabled by enzymatic and off-flavor removal technologies.
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Increasing substitution of fish meal with plant protein concentrates in aquaculture and poultry feed.
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Rising high-protein and GLP-1-friendly food launches boosting protein fortification in bakery and snacks.
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Growing investment in regional legume processing capacity across North America, Europe, and India.
U.S. Plant Protein Concentrates Market Outlook
The U.S. Plant Protein Concentrates Market was valued at USD 4.62 Billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 9.10 Billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 7.02% from 2026-2035.
Growth of the U.S. Plant Protein Concentrates Market is driven by robust demand from sports nutrition, protein bars, plant-based meat, and ready-to-drink beverage makers owing to a combination of the country’s extensive stock of soybeans and yellow peas and ingredient manufacturing capabilities. Plant protein companies are also entering into innovative retail formats. For instance, in April 2026, Beyond Meat inked a deal with Big Geyser to launch their line of Beyond Immerse functional beverages through a chain of over 26,000 stores in New York. Growing customer interest in consuming high amounts of proteins, even those taking GLP-1-based weight management drugs, is a factor fueling formulation innovations in conventional foods.
In July 2026, PURIS, a Minneapolis-based pea protein producer, announced the launch of its H2-IZO pea protein ingredient at IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, designed to deliver lower viscosity and gum-free stable suspensions in high-protein beverages and dairy alternatives.
Plant Protein Concentrates Market Segment Analysis
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By Source, the Soy segment dominated the Plant Protein Concentrates Market with approximately 36.84% share in 2025, while the Pea segment is the fastest growing with a CAGR of approximately 9.42%.
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By Application, the Food & Beverages segment dominated the Plant Protein Concentrates Market with approximately 51.62% share in 2025, while the Nutritional Supplements segment is the fastest growing with a CAGR of approximately 8.86%.
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By Form, the Powder segment dominated the Plant Protein Concentrates Market with approximately 72.46% share in 2025, while the Liquid segment is the fastest growing with a CAGR of approximately 8.14%.
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By Distribution Channel, the Supermarkets/Hypermarkets segment dominated the Plant Protein Concentrates Market with approximately 38.28% share in 2025, while the Online Stores segment is the fastest growing with a CAGR of approximately 10.64%.
By Source, Soy Dominates the Plant Protein Concentrates Market and Pea Grows Fastest
Soy led the market in 2025 due to the fact that soy protein concentrate is still the most ubiquitous, economically feasible, and well-tested plant protein ingredient, with decades of processing and manufacturing experience in large quantities in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and China. The full complement of amino acids, dense protein content, and ability to bind water and form gels make soy protein an automatic choice for meat substitutes, meat extenders, bakery products, and livestock feed formulation.
Pea is experiencing the highest growth due to increasing usage by formulators of pea protein concentrates due to their non-GMO nature, low allergy potential, natural colorlessness, and emulsifying properties in plant-based dairy products, protein drinks, and meat substitutes. Growth in the production of yellow peas in Canada, northern USA, and France is ensuring a steady supply of raw materials and improved prices and the building of facilities dedicated to producing pea protein concentrates near production areas.
By Application, Food & Beverages Dominates the Plant Protein Concentrates Market and Nutritional Supplements Grows Fastest
The Food & Beverages segment led the market in 2025 as plant protein concentrates have become the main components in meat alternatives, dairy-free milk, yogurt, baked foods, cereals, snacks, and protein-added beverages, offered via mainstream distribution channels. Processors use concentrates not only as an effective source of nutrients but also for their technical properties, such as texturing, moisture binding, emulsifying, and foaming capabilities to reduce the number of additives used in formulations. Reformulation of current products of large food processors with the use of plant proteins to achieve sustainability goals is adding to the leading performance of the segment.
Nutritional Supplement represent the most rapidly growing application segment owing to more and more users of sports nutrition and wellness products preferring plant-based protein powders, shake mixes, and protein bars over those which are derived from dairy sources. Manufacturers are creating multi-protein powder mixes using pea, rice, and hemp concentrates, which provide a good balance of amino acid content and digestibility scores, and thereby help bridge the gap of performance of their counterparts such as whey proteins.
By Form, Powder Dominates the Plant Protein Concentrates Market and Liquid Grows Fastest
Powder was the dominant segment in 2025 due to its long shelf life, stability at ambient temperatures, lower shipping costs, and ease of blending into dry mixes, bakery mixes, extrudates, and supplement powders. Commercial production of protein concentrates is through spray drying and dry fractionation, and hence, the powder form makes the most sense for manufacturers. Powder forms help to facilitate allergen control, accurate dosing, and easy inventory management throughout multinational manufacturing facilities.
Liquid segment is growing the fastest with increasing demand for protein in ready-to-drink beverages, plant-based milk and foodservice applications, which requires a direct addition of proteins into the wet processing line without having to be reconstituted. The benefits offered by liquid concentrates include reduced mixing time, reduced dust, and processing losses in high volume beverage plants, resulting in increased efficiency of the production process.
By Distribution Channel, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets Dominate the Plant Protein Concentrates Market and Online Stores Grow Fastest
Supermarkets/Hypermarkets segment was the dominant sales channels in 2025 as large retail stores still continue to be the main place for purchasing plant-based meat, plant-based dairy alternatives, protein snacks, and protein concentrates-based powders. The likes of Walmart, Kroger, Carrefour, and Tesco have continued to create plant-based food and high-protein sections within their shops, offering products great visibility among mainstream customers. The private labels of plant protein products are gaining popularity as well in these stores as the retailers seek cheaper options than the national brands.
Online Stores has become the most rapidly growing distribution channel with more consumers buying protein powders, meal replacement drinks, and specialty plant protein foods via electronic shopping platforms. Online shopping provides small and premium brands with an inexpensive access point to both national and global markets without paying costly slotting fees to physical retail stores. Growth of quick-commerce and marketplaces in China, India, and Southeast Asia together with increasing subscription sales in North America and Europe drives online sales of plant protein products.
Regional Analysis
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Region |
Major Country |
Share within Region, 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
North America |
United States |
82.64% |
|
Asia Pacific |
China |
41.28% |
|
Europe |
Germany |
24.86% |
|
Latin America |
Brazil |
46.32% |
|
Middle East & Africa |
Saudi Arabia |
28.64% |
North America Plant Protein Concentrates Market Insights
The share of North America in the global Plant Protein Concentrates Market in 2025 stood at about 36.74%. This is the highest regional share owing to factors such as high per capita consumption of protein-rich foods, well-developed sports nutrition segment and the presence of prominent ingredients suppliers such as ADM, Cargill, Ingredion, and PURIS. The penetration of plant-based meat and dairy substitutes and protein bars is quite high in retail.
Regional demand is dominated by the United States, driven by an extensive manufacturing capacity of protein powder, bars, and ready-to-drink beverages, as well as high demand pull from pet food and animal feed manufacturers. Canada makes a significant contribution as both a producer and processor, facilitated by government initiative in promoting value addition in pulses through Protein Industries Canada, which finances joint ventures in pea and canola protein processing.
Asia Pacific Plant Protein Concentrates Market Insights
The Asia Pacific region holds the position of being the fastest-growing regional market with a growth rate of around 8.62% CAGR between 2026 and 2035 due to the increasing disposable incomes, rapid urbanization, and increased consumer preference for protein consumption in China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The long history of soy-based food products, such as tofu, soy milk, and textured soy protein provides a familiar base for manufacturers to introduce new pea protein, rice, and mung bean concentrate products.
As the world’s largest processor of soy proteins and also one of the leading producers of pea proteins, China remains the mainstay of regional demand with local producers servicing local food companies as well as exports. India is adding impressive incremental growth in the form of growing awareness of proteins, high number of vegetarians, and increasing range of sports nutrition and dairy alternatives that are using concentrates.
Europe Plant Protein Concentrates Market Insights
Europe constitutes an important market for the Global Plant Protein Concentrates Market, driven by one of the best-developed plant-based foods retail markets in the world and increasing consumer demand for sustainable local sources of proteins. The EU efforts to become less dependent on soybean meal imports and to promote legumes production in the region are fueling investments into pea protein, faba bean protein, and rapeseed protein concentrates production in France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Scandinavia.
Germany is at the core of demand as the biggest market for meat and dairy alternatives in Europe on account of robust retail discounter programs and flexitarian penetration. France is a major manufacturing base for pea protein due to abundant pea cultivation as well as presence of well-established industries of starch and protein processing. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries are spearheading innovations in hybrid and plant-centric products, while Italy and Spain have been scaling up adoption from relatively lower levels.
MEA & Latin America Plant Protein Concentrates Market Insights
The Middle East & Africa region still constitutes a relatively smaller segment and yet is growing progressively due to urbanization, health consciousness, and food security policies in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and South Africa which increase the demand for proteins. The gulf nations are highly dependent on imports for their food/feed needs, and government initiatives, such as Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia have increased local food processing and investments in protein alternatives. The increasing trend of fitness and supplement usage by young populations in the gulf nations will favor sales of plant-based protein powders.
Latin America's market is developing due to the presence of two countries in Latin America that produce a large number of soybeans, including Brazil and Argentina, which use their capacity for crushing soybeans to provide soy protein concentrates to food/feed producers in both domestic and export markets. Brazil is driving the demand for soy protein concentrates in Latin America with the help of large meat processing industry, poultry feed industry, and aquaculture.
Market Dynamics
Growth Drivers: Rising Plant-Based Food Demand and Sustainable Animal Feed Proteins
Growing preference for plant-based products forms the major factor driving the growth of the Plant Protein Concentrates Market since people opt for meat substitutes, non-dairy drinks, protein bars, and fortifying snack items for their health, environment, and ethical benefits. Since plant protein concentrates offer the proteins needed, as well as the binding and texturizing ability of these foods at a cheaper price compared to isolates, the former is a preferred choice for large-scale production of mainstream plant-based food products.
Sustainable animal protein feed is another major driver of growth as aquaculture, poultry, swine, and pet food manufacturers are seeking to use alternatives to fishmeal and imported protein meals, which have pricing uncertainty and sustainability issues. Both soy and pea protein concentrates offer consistent amino acid composition, easy digestion, and stable supply, enabling the development of animal feed that maintains animal performance levels while reducing the carbon footprint of the feed production process.
Restraints: Sensory Limitations and Raw Material Price Volatility
Sensory attributes are a notable constraint on market expansion since most protein concentrate sources have beany, grassy, or bitter flavor and may impart a gritty texture. Overcoming these defects requires the use of additional flavors, sweeteners, or processing ingredients that increase formula cost and could run counter to the clean label trend. Flavor is an important factor in why consumers purchase plant proteins one time but choose not to purchase again, thereby hampering growth in some meat alternative segments in North America and Europe.
Price fluctuations in raw materials are another constraint as the production of concentrates is dependent upon the harvests of soybeans, peas, wheat, and other crops which may be subject to weather disruptions, changes in cultivation, trading issues, or altered tax laws. An unexpected rise in costs may adversely affect margins of processors running under fixed customer contracts, while increasing the costs of the end products for consumers who are aware of the added price of plant-based food products. Competition from animal proteins especially whey and traditional meat become an additional challenge when such proteins decline in price.
Opportunities: Next-Generation Processing Technologies and Emerging Pulse Sources
The use of next generation technologies for processing is a big opportunity since dry fractionation, air separation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation processes enable ingredient providers to create concentrates with superior taste, solubility, and functional properties without using much water and energy. Specifically, dry fractionation does not involve high water usage and the need for drying, thus saving money and having a smaller environmental impact
Alternative sources of pulses and oilseeds also provide another way to expand, as proteins such as faba bean protein, chickpea protein, lentil protein, mung bean protein, canola protein, and sunflower protein have unique functionality. This is due to their geographic availability and unique differentiation qualities. They help in reducing dependency on soy and yellow pea proteins while creating a new story for brands.
Recent Developments:
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June 2026: Amano Enzyme introduced ProBoost Neutra at Bridge2Food Europe 2026 in Copenhagen, an enzyme solution that triples pea protein solubility and reduces off-notes for smoother plant-based formulations.
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April 2026: SentiaNova emerged from stealth in Zurich with a patented off-flavor removal technology and launched its first neutral-tasting pea protein concentrate in sample volumes ahead of commercial scale-up.
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February 2026: Ingredion launched VITESSENCE Pea 100 HD, a pea protein optimized for cold-pressed bars that keeps bars soft throughout shelf life and reduces gritty mouthfeel.
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February 2026: Roquette launched NUTRALYS Pea 850F, a clean-tasting pea protein isolate that minimizes vegetal notes and reduces the need for flavor-masking systems in plant-based foods.
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November 2024: BENEO showcased scalable plant-based and hybrid solutions at Fi Europe using texturates made from its meatless and faba bean protein concentrates.
Plant Protein Concentrates Market Key Players
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Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)
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Cargill, Incorporated
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Roquette Frères
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Ingredion Incorporated
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Kerry Group plc
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Glanbia plc
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BENEO GmbH
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Cosucra Groupe Warcoing SA
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Emsland Group
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AGT Food and Ingredients Inc.
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Burcon NutraScience Corporation
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CHS Inc.
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Wilmar International Limited
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The Scoular Company
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Vestkorn Milling AS
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PURIS
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Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.
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Axiom Foods, Inc.
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Sotexpro SA
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Yantai Shuangta Food Co., Ltd.
Plant Protein Concentrates Market Report Scope:
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Market Size in 2025 | USD 15.21 Billion |
| Market Size by 2035 | USD 30.94 Billion |
| CAGR | 7.36% from 2026-2035 |
| Base Year | 2025 |
| Forecast Period | 2026-2035 |
| Historical Data | 2022-2024 |
| Report Scope & Coverage | Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook |
| Key Segments | • By Source: Dominant – Soy (36.84% share in 2025); Fastest-Growing – Pea (CAGR 9.42%) • By Application: Dominant – Food & Beverages (51.62% share in 2025); Fastest-Growing – Nutritional Supplements (CAGR 8.86%) • By Form: Dominant – Powder (72.46% share in 2025); Fastest-Growing – Liquid (CAGR 8.14%) • By Distribution Channel: Dominant – Supermarkets/Hypermarkets (38.28% share in 2025); Fastest-Growing – Online Stores (CAGR 10.64%) |
| Regional Analysis/Coverage | North America (US, Canada), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, ASEAN Countries, Rest of Asia Pacific), Middle East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Rest of Latin America). |
| Company Profiles | Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Cargill, Incorporated, Roquette Frères, Ingredion Incorporated, Kerry Group plc, Glanbia plc, BENEO GmbH, Cosucra Groupe Warcoing SA, Emsland Group, AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., Burcon NutraScience Corporation, CHS Inc., Wilmar International Limited, The Scoular Company, Vestkorn Milling AS, PURIS, Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., Axiom Foods, Inc., Sotexpro SA, Yantai Shuangta Food Co., Ltd. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Key players include ADM, Cargill, Incorporated, Roquette Frères, Ingredion Incorporated, Kerry Group plc, Glanbia plc, and BENEO GmbH, among other global plant protein ingredient suppliers.
Next-generation processing technologies, emerging pulse and oilseed protein sources, and expanding demand across Asia Pacific and Latin America represent the primary opportunities.
Growth is primarily driven by rising demand for plant-based and high-protein foods combined with growing use of plant protein concentrates in sustainable animal feed.
By Source, Soy dominated the market with approximately 36.84% share in 2025, reflecting its cost competitiveness, complete amino acid profile, and established global supply chains.
North America dominated the market with approximately 36.74% share in 2025, driven by high consumption of protein-enriched foods and a strong ingredient processing base.