Canada Protein Market Size and Share Outlook - Forecast Trends and Growth Analysis Report (2025-2034)

The Canada protein market was valued at USD 650.00 Million in 2024. Trends like the emergence of functional and fortified protein products, the popularity of plant-based protein, and the rising need for high-quality, sustainable protein sources have driven the market. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.90% from 2025 to 2034, potentially reaching USD 1.15 billion by 2034.

Canada Protein Market Growth

Undernourishment is a significant factor driving the growth of the Canada protein market, as consumers are increasingly preferring dietary supplements to meet their overall nutritional needs. According to Statistics Canada, 17.8% of households, which comprised 6.9 million Canadians across 10 Canadian provinces, were estimated to experience food insecurity in 2022, including 1.8 million children aged under 18. To address this, the protein market is expected to witness several frequent launches of instant protein products such as protein bars, shakes and candies in the coming years.

Furthermore, the need to meet daily nutritional requirements is propelling the demand for everyday protein ingredients such as whey, soy, pea, and hemp proteins, which are increasingly being incorporated into snacks, beverages, and dietary supplements to provide convenient on-the-go protein consumption options to customers. For instance, in October 2024, Canadian wellness restaurant Impact Kitchen introduced Impact Everyday Protein Powder in both Grass Fed Whey and Plant Protein formulations with 22 to 23 grams of protein content per serving.

Key Trends and Recent Developments

The popularity of protein-flavoured snacks, demand for alternative protein, and impactful marketing campaigns are impacting the Canada protein market revenue.

June 2024

Protein Industries Canada, has announced a new project worth USD 24.5 million in partnership with other industry leaders such as Roquette, Prairie Fava, BioNeutra, and Plant Up. This initiative aims to foster growth and tackle challenges within the plant-based food ingredients and products sector. The project will focus on the development of peas and fava beans as protein sources.

May 2024

Sweden-based Barebells has introduced four new flavours of protein bars in Canada across all its retail stores, gyms, and supplement stores. The flavours included cookies and cream, creamy crisp, caramel cashew, and chocolate dough, each containing 20 grams of protein, without any added sugar.

May 2024

Lactalis Canada launched a new plant-based brand “Enjoy!” to serve a range of high protein plant-based beverage products, including Unsweetened Oat, Unsweetened Oat Vanilla, Unsweetened Almond, Unsweetened Almond Vanilla, Unsweetened Hazelnut and Unsweetened Hazelnut & Oat. The unsweetened products provide 8 grams of protein derived from peas per 250 ml.

February 2024

Danone Canada launched its new plant-based Silk Yoghurt, with Canadian pea protein, in two flavour-key lime, and vanilla. The yoghurt delivers 12 grams of protein per serving and features a Greek-style thick texture, efficiently delivering on taste, consistency, and nutrition.

Popularity of Flavoured Protein Snacks is Propelling the Growth of the Canada Protein Market

The trend of integrating bold and appealing flavours with nutritious products such as protein shakes, bars, and candies is gaining momentum in the protein market, primarily targeting young consumers who often seek taste overnutrition in their diets. This is encouraging key brands to combine both flavour and functionality in the proteins they produce, offering a wholesome experience of protein intake to consumers. Protein Candy, launched its new Super Candy product in Canada in September 2024, composed of 14 grams of protein and available in four flavours, namely classic fruit, classic fruit sour, berry punch, and tropical punch.

Impactful Marketing Campaigns are Increasing the Demand of the Canada Protein Market

Effective marketing campaigns across various channels such as social media, broadcast media, print media, and through influencers, are playing a crucial role in increasing the sale of protein products, thereby positively impacting the market’s revenue. These campaigns usually emphasise the benefits of specific proteins in enhancing fitness, managing weight reduction, and improving the overall health of consumers. For instance, Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) launched a public awareness campaign in September 2024, encouraging young Canadians to increase their consumption of chicken to achieve their long-term fitness goals.

Increasing Demand for Alternative Protein is Creating New Canada Protein Market Opportunities

Growing ethical and environmental concerns, coupled with the shifting food consumption patterns of Canadians, are expanding the opportunities for alternative protein sales in Canada. These products are increasingly being preferred by consumers due to high quality, ethical production, and clean label standards, pushing the boundaries of sustainable protein production in Canada. Israel-based food tech company Remilk announced in February 2024, that it would soon begin commercialising BLG protein, a lab-grown milk protein ingredient in Canada, that can be used to produce dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and ice cream.

Technological Advancements are Influencing the Canada Protein Market Dynamics and Trends

Increased investments in technological advancements, particularly the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in production facilities, are boosting the productivity of Canada protein industry, especially, by improving the efficiency of manufacturing equipment, ensuring high standards of product quality and reducing the overall costs of production. Protein Industries Canada launched a new programme in September 2022, designed to co-invest in collaborative projects utilising AI in Canada’s protein production industry, with an investment worth USD 30 million.

Canada Protein Market Trends

The emergence of new startups, driven by innovative concepts and technologies, is a growing trend in the Canada protein market, fuelled by the high demand for nutritional and health-focused products. Leveraging the benefits of a diverse consumer base and recent developments in the industry, these startups are striving to expand their consumer reach and product portfolios, increasing their market value and revenue-generating potential. Additionally, sustainability is a key concern for their future viability, prompting them to focus on producing alternative and plant-based organic proteins that align with environmental goals and the growing consumer preference for ethical, eco-friendly products.

Canada Protein Industry Segmentation

The report titled “Canada Protein Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Market Breakup by Type

• Animal
• Casein and Caseinates
• Collagen
• Gelatin
• Insect Protein
• Milk Protein
• Whey Protein
• Egg Protein
• Others
• Plant
• Hemp Protein
• Pea Protein
• Rice Protein
• Soy Protein
• Wheat Protein
• Others
• Microbial
• Algae Protein
• Mycoprotein

Market Breakup by End-User

• Animal Feed
• Food and Beverages
• Personal Care and Cosmetics
• Supplements
• Baby Food and Infant Formula
• Elderly Nutrition and Medical Nutrition
• Sport/Performance Nutrition

Market Breakup by Region

• British Columbia
• Alberta
• The Prairies
• Central Canada
• Atlantic Canada

Canada Protein Market Share

Innovative pea production technologies are increasing the Canada protein market share

According to the Canada protein market analysis, plant-based protein occupies the largest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. The market is led by the adoption of innovative technologies that are significantly driving pea protein production, resulting in the overall expansion of plant protein market. These technologies improve the efficiency and sustainability of the production process besides, while also adding numerous health benefits to the resultant product. For instance, in May 2022, Canadian Ag-tech firm, PIP International (PIP), announced a new pea protein product UP.P™ or ‘Ultimate Pea Protein’ produced by controlled coercion technology. This process reportedly improved upon the ingredient’s poor taste, colour, and texture and compromised performance, enhancing its visual appeal and functionality besides making it highly affordable for consumers.

Besides, the animal protein market share in Canada is also growing due to the scalable and sustainable production of insect proteins. These proteins require negligible natural resources such as land and water for production, which reduces the cost and adverse environmental impacts of the process. Besides, the protein ingredient, insects, can be easily sourced from organic waste streams or specially designed farms, making them an affordable and healthier alternative to traditional animal-based proteins. In a significant effort to meet the growing demand for insect protein in Canada, NRGene Canada opened the North American Insect Center (NAIC) in collaboration with Swiss technology group Bühler in June 2024. The centre aims to advance insect protein production in Canada and other North American nations.

Food and beverages sector is fuelling the demand in the Canada protein market

According to the Canada protein market report, the market is led by the food and beverages sector is driving substantial demand for protein products and ingredients in the country, especially to meet the significant nutritional gaps among various demographic groups. For instance, while young adults find flavoured protein products such as bars and snacks appealing for consumption, the elderly prefer mixable protein ingredients such as powders, concentrates, and isolates due to their ease of intake. Similarly, athletes, who require extremely high protein diets, are inclining more towards traditional ingredients such as chicken and eggs. According to the Canadian government, the food and beverage processing industry recorded sales of manufactured goods worth USD 156.5 billion, accounting for 18.2% of total manufacturing sales in 2022.

Besides, the animal feed industry is playing a significant role in driving the demand for protein in Canada, as protein-rich feed ingredients are essential for the efficient production of livestock and poultry. In 2023, Canada produced poultry and egg products worth CAD 6.8 billion, accounting for 6.9% of total farming income. Further growth in these values, owing to rising poultry consumption and exports by the country, is expected to drive a sharp surge in the industry’s overall protein demand during the coming years.

Canada Protein Market Regional Analysis

British Columbia is driving the growth of the Canada protein market, largely due to rising sales of crops and the consequent increase in the production of plant-based ingredients. The region is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7 during the forecast period of 2025 and 2034. The province is known for its favourable climate and sustainable farming practices, which are ideal for the growth of several plant-based protein sources like peas, lentils, and hemp. According to government estimates, total sales of these crops in 2022 were recorded at CAD 4.56 billion, a 12% increase since the previous year.

Besides, Alberta is also contributing significantly to Canada protein market growth and will likely grow at a CAGR of 6% between 2025 and 2034, especially due to the expanding production and processing facilities for milk and dairy ingredients. The province is a leading supplier of high-quality milk in the country, used to produce a variety of dairy proteins, such as whey and casein. In recent years, it has even witnessed the emergence of new and innovative projects in the dairy industry, expected to create new Canada protein market opportunities. For instance, the latest reports suggest that it is set to open the first-of-its-kind dewatering dairy processing factory worth USD 75 million by 2025 featuring ultra-filtration techniques that would enhance the quality of processed milk sourced for milk protein manufacturing in the country.

Competitive Landscape

The Canada protein market key players are catering to the diverse protein consumption needs of several demographic groups by innovating new types of sustainable and nutritional protein ingredients. These include plant-based proteins, cultivated or lab-grown proteins, and dairy proteins.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. was established in 1902 and is currently a global industry leader in animal and human nutrition products. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, the company specialises in the production of food and feed ingredients, oilseeds, soybeans, health and wellness products, plant-based proteins, and farmer services.

Saputo Inc.

Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Saputo is considered one of the top ten dairy producers in the world. It specialises in the distribution of a wide range of dairy products such as cheese, fluid milk, milk cream, and cultured dairy ingredients. In Canada, the company operates through multiple brands across a wide distribution network of multiple cheese varieties, dairy products, and milk protein ingredients.

Cargill, Inc.

Cargill Inc. was established in 1865, headquartered in Minnesota, United States, and gradually transformed to becoming a global leader in the food, agriculture, and manufacturing industries. The company is known to produce and process a wide variety of grains, oilseeds, animal nutrition products, biochemicals, and metals. It boasts production facilities in more than 70 countries and has a strong foothold in more than 125 global markets.

Glanbia Plc

Glanbia Plc, established in 1997 and headquartered in the Kilkenny city of Ireland, is a global pioneer in the production of human, animal, and sports nutrition products. Among these industries, its specialisations include whey proteins, performance nutrition, dairy ingredients, micronutrient premix solutions and more.

Other key players in the Canada protein market report are Kerry Group Plc, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Protein Co., Groupe Lactalis, Burcon NutraScience Corp., and Roquette Frères S.A., among others.