While sales of meat alternatives have cooled from their mid-2010s peak, demand for protein-rich foods remains strong. Consumers are seeking products that support weight management, muscle health and overall wellness, creating opportunities for soy protein across traditional meat products, hybrid formulations and plant-based applications alike. The National Provisioner sat down with John Powers, marketing director for ADM, to discuss the evolving market for soy protein, and what's driving demand for soy-based formulations.

John Powers discusses protein at ADM's facility in Erlanger, Ky. Courtesy of ADM

From your perspective, how is demand for soy protein evolving in today’s market, and what’s driving that interest?

John Powers: Demand for soy protein is evolving in step with broader shifts in how consumers think about health, nutrition and active lifestyles. Today’s market is less about single benefits and more about integrated solutions that support aspects like weight management, muscle health and long-term wellness. In that context, soy is particularly well positioned. Soy is a high-quality, complete protein that offers additional nutrients like fiber, making it relevant for consumers who want both functionality and nutritional density.

From a weight management and performance standpoint, soy aligns closely with key consumer priorities such as satiety, sustained energy and muscle maintenance. This is reflected in consumer perception: 83% of global plant-forward consumers (defined as flexitarians, vegetarians or vegans) agree soy protein is a good source of plant-based protein for building/maintaining muscle, 81% believe it's a great option for reducing fat intake and 79% associate it with a healthy/active lifestyle.¹ These perceptions are increasingly important as more consumers adopt flexible, plant-forward eating patterns and look for protein sources that can deliver comparable benefits to traditional animal proteins. Globally, 46% of consumers identify as flexitarians, which means they are looking to eat more plant-based protein and less animal protein in foods and beverages.¹

Another major driver connected to the focus on weight management is the rise of anti-obesity medications (AOMs), including GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are reshaping dietary behaviors. As these treatments reduce appetite and overall food intake, protein becomes even more significant, particularly for maintaining lean muscle mass during weight loss. Clinical research suggests that 20–40% of weight loss can come from muscle², underscoring the importance of high-quality protein sources like soy in this landscape.

At the same time, demand for high-protein products continues to move beyond core sports nutrition into mainstream, everyday consumption. While whey protein remains dominant, soy is enabling innovation in plant-based formats that appeal to a wider audience seeking convenient and functional nutrition options. Together, these trends reinforce soy protein’s growing relevance as a sought-after solution for modern health goals.

How does soy protein fit into ADM’s broader protein strategy, particularly within the North American market?

John Powers: Soy protein is foundational to ADM’s broader protein strategy, particularly in North America, where soy continues to serve as both a legacy strength and a platform for ongoing innovation. ADM’s leadership in plant proteins began in the 1960s with the development of textured vegetable protein (TVP), which provided the first textured soy protein flour. Since then, we have expanded our soy portfolio to include isolates, concentrates, flours and textured proteins, enabling a wide range of applications across the food and beverage industry. With our state-of-the-art, 36,000 square-foot Protein Solutions Center in Decatur, Ill., combined with decades of expertise and continued investment in innovation, we deliver scalable, high-performing solutions that meet shifting consumer and industry demands.

Today, soy plays a central role in helping our customers deliver on the demand for plant-based and plant-forward solutions. A notable advantage of our soy protein solutions is their clean taste. As plant-forward consumers prioritize both taste and nutrition equally¹, this becomes a meaningful differentiator for brands looking to deliver appealing plant-based products without compromising on the sensory experience.

Functionality is another crucial component. Our soy proteins provide consistent performance across applications, helping manufacturers achieve desired textures and structures, along with nutritional targets. Recent innovations, including our newly introduced Arcon IH, Arcon SB and Arcon 412 soy protein concentrate solutions enable more precise formulation in meat and alternative protein applications like ham, pork chops, sausages, ground meat applications, deli meats and chicken nuggets. 

What are customers prioritizing most when selecting soy protein ingredients today?

To meet consumer expectations, manufacturers are prioritizing soy protein solutions that deliver both strong nutrition and reliable functionality. Soy is one of the few non-animal proteins with a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.0, meaning it provides all essential amino acids in optimal proportions. This high nutritional quality, combined with excellent digestibility, makes soy a versatile solution across a wide range of applications.

Advancements in agronomy and ingredient science have elevated certain soy proteins’ functionalities, offering formulation benefits such as emulsification for stable systems and water-binding capacity to support texture, structure and mouthfeel. Moreover, clean-tasting soy protein solutions with reduced off-notes help simplify flavor systems and streamline product development, which is an important attribute as brands work to balance nutrition with consumer-acceptable taste.

Finally, cost-in-use remains a critical consideration. Manufacturers are looking for ingredients that not only perform well but also improve efficiency and yield. 

Overall, our customers seek soy protein ingredients that combine complete nutrition with functionality, clean taste and cost efficiency, making many solutions in our diversified soy protein pantry ideal choices.

In what applications are you seeing the most momentum for soy protein, and how are customer performance expectations shaping those opportunities?

Soy protein continues to gain momentum across both traditional meat applications and emerging plant-forward formats, driven by the need for cost efficiency, functionality and sensory performance. We find that plant-forward consumers are interested in trying but have not yet tried alternative options to tacos/burritos/empanadas, shredded/pulled meat and drumsticks/wings.¹ Quality soy protein ingredients can help bridge this gap between interest and trial.

There continues to be substantial opportunity for soy protein concentrates and textured proteins to partially replace meat in sausages, hams, hot dogs, burgers and chicken nuggets. This allows manufacturers to further manage costs while maintaining texture, juiciness, flavor, and overall product integrity. Plus, people are looking to expand beyond fully plant-based products to include hybrid formats that blend animal and plant proteins. Plant-forward consumers are most interested in trying plant-based meat alternatives with novel ingredients (76%), followed by those with hybrid sources (64%).¹ Our research also shows that in hybrid applications, consumers prefer a higher meat-to-plant ratio.³ Blends incorporating soy alongside ingredients like mushrooms, vegetable blends, beans and pulses are particularly appealing³, creating whitespace for high-quality hybrid products across popular categories such as chicken, beef, pork and seafood.³

Soy protein is also seeing increased adoption in snacks, bakery and specialized or sports nutrition. For example, 76% of consumers indicate interest in baked goods with higher protein content⁴, reflecting a shift toward more functional indulgence. Similarly, protein remains a top factor in snack selection.⁵

Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for continued growth or evolution in the soy protein space?

As the plant-based category matures, the next phase of growth will be defined by higher expectations around quality, performance and consumer experience. This creates a strong opportunity for soy protein, which brings together proven nutrition, technical reliability and broad application flexibility.

One key area of growth is in more nuanced product formats, including in hybrid/blended applications and next-generation plant-based foods that prioritize taste and texture alongside nutrition. There is also continued expansion in everyday applications, such as protein-enriched snacks and bakery. Soy provides a scalable and efficient way to deliver meaningful protein content across these formats.

For manufacturers, the opportunity lies in using soy more strategically – not just as a protein source, but as a multifunctional ingredient that can improve structure, stability and overall product quality. Advances in ingredient design can further enhance soy’s sensory profile and functionality, making soy protein favorably suited to support the next wave of innovation by helping brands deliver products that are nutritious, appealing and practical for everyday consumption.

¹ADM Outside Voice℠, Global Protein Consumer Discovery Report, 2025 

²Heymsfield, S. B.; et al. (2014) Obesity Reviews. 15(4): 310–21

³ADM Outside Voice℠, The Future of Blends, Global Consumer Insights Report, 2024 

⁴ADM Outside Voice℠, Protein in Bakery Consumer Insights Report, 2026

⁵The Hartman Group, The Future of Snacking, 2025