K-State Extension: Popularity of GLP-1 medications results in rising demand for high-protein dairy products.
Trends and shifting demand are key decision makers for every market, and agriculture is no stranger to clocking consumer preferences and rising to meet them. One emerging healthcare development, arising from a surge in GLP-1 receptor agonist and other anti-obesity and blood sugar stabilizer prescriptions, has caught the attention of K-State Extension specialists by spilling over into the nation’s dairy industry.
How do medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound affect dairy producers? They’re the cream of the crop with it comes to helping our bodies regulate blood sugar levels and slow digestion, which calms appetites and prolongs the feeling of fullness. Many who take these medications lose more than unwanted fat — shrinking muscle mass and thinning hair are common drawbacks. High-quality protein intake is the answer, and that presents a golden opportunity for dairy farmers to rush to the rescue.
“We’re seeing dairy products show up in a lot of different places than what we might have envisioned even a few years ago,” said Mike Brouk, Kansas State University professor and extension specialist. “We need to think about products that we might bring to the market that would increase the protein content and increase the health value of those particular products.”
The farmer-run cooperative Dairy Farmers of America got the memo and delivered Mulu, a brand of cottage cheese that delivers 33% more protein than the former front-runner by incorporating a blend of casein and whey.
“Mulu actually has an addition of whey protein to its product,” Brouk said. “So we have a combination of a quickly available protein source in our digestive system as well as something that’s going to stick around in the digestive system for a longer period of time.”
Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and the whey-based protein powders themselves are enjoying a big boost in popularity, and dairy experts like Brouk want to make one thing clear: The profit is in the protein.
Curated from Protein demand reshaping dairy marketplace