Casein Global Market Report 2025

The casein market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $5.44 billion in 2024 to $5.89 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%. The growth during the historic period can be credited to increasing demand in the cheese industry, heightened awareness of protein-rich diets, expansion of the sports nutrition sector, increased use in food processing, growth in applications for industrial adhesives, and an expanding role in personal care formulations.

The casein market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $8.0 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9%. The growth projected for the forecast period is driven by increasing demand for high-protein foods, greater adoption in sports nutrition, expanded use in biodegradable packaging, growth in lactose-free and functional dairy alternatives, rising demand for clean-label ingredients, and increasing applications in personal care and pharmaceuticals. Key trends during this period include advancements in sustainable and plant-based alternatives, innovations in biodegradable casein-based packaging, incorporation in functional foods, progress in personal care formulations, and technological improvements in extraction and processing techniques.

The increasing demand for cheese is expected to drive the growth of the casein market in the future. Cheese is a solid dairy product created by curdling milk and aging it to develop various flavors and textures. The rising consumer preference for protein-rich, flavorful, and convenient food options is boosting cheese demand. Casein, the primary protein in milk, coagulates to form curds, making it a crucial component in cheese production. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a US government agency, cheese production increased to 22.52 million metric tons in 2024/25, up from 22.3 million metric tons in 2023/24. Thus, the growing cheese demand is fueling the expansion of the casein market.

Leading companies in the casein market are focusing on technological innovations like precision fermentation-derived casein to replicate authentic dairy performance in plant-based products while addressing environmental and ethical concerns. Precision fermentation casein is a bioidentical dairy protein produced through microbial fermentation, possessing the same molecular structure and functional properties as traditional casein but without the use of animals. For example, in October 2024, Those Vegan Cowboys, a food technology company based in Belgium, created animal-free casein using precision fermentation, an advanced biotechnology that produces dairy-identical proteins without involving animals. This breakthrough tackles a major challenge in vegan cheese - mimicking the stretch and melt characteristics of conventional dairy cheese. By replicating the functional properties of milk-derived casein, the product allows for the creation of plant-based cheeses with genuine texture and performance, significantly improving the appeal and quality of vegan dairy alternatives.

In December 2022, Butterfly, a US-based private equity firm, acquired Milk Specialties Global for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition aims to support Milk Specialties Global’s ongoing growth and innovation within the nutrition and wellness sectors. Milk Specialties Global is a US-based company specializing in high-quality dairy proteins.

Major players in the casein market are Nestlé S.A., Danone S.A., Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S, Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Saputo Inc., Kerry Group, Savencia Fromage, Glanbia plc, Bega Cheese Ltd., Actus Nutrition, Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd., Parag Milk Foods Ltd., Producers Dairy Foods Inc., Ingredia SA, Batory Foods, Westland Milk Products, Meelunie B.V., Uelzena eG, Lactoprot Deutschland GmbH, and Armor Proteines.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the casein market in 2024, and it is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in casein report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

The countries covered in the casein market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Casein is a protein primarily found in milk and dairy products, constituting about 80% of the protein in cow’s milk. It is characterized by a slow digestion rate, which enables a steady and extended release of amino acids into the bloodstream. This feature makes casein a favored ingredient in protein supplements, particularly for use at night.

The main forms of casein are acid casein and rennet casein. Acid casein is produced by adding acid to skim milk, which causes the casein proteins to coagulate and separate from the liquid at a certain pH level. Casein can be derived from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and sheep’s milk and serves various functional purposes such as emulsifying, texturizing, foaming, and thickening. It is extensively utilized across multiple industries, including food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, industrial applications, and others.

The casein market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides casein market statistics, including the casein industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the casein market share, detailed casein market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the casein industry. This casein market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The casein market consists of sales of sports nutrition, processed foods, adhesives, and paints and coatings. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values and are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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