Protein is essential to human and animal development, affecting growth, repair, and tissue maintenance functions.

Protein forms critical enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. It acts as an energy source, assists with transporting and storing substances like oxygen and iron, and provides tissue structure. Proteins also supply essential amino acids that humans and animals cannot produce.

Adequate dietary protein is critical to avoid malnutrition, impaired growth, and weakened immunity. Protein is, however, one of many nutrients essential to a healthy diet, such that different diets may achieve desirable protein intake and yet lead to very different health outcomes.

Production

Protein production in the EU is an important issue that touches on European food security (e.g. dependence on feed from third countries), environmental sustainability, energy costs, and economic and social resilience. In this context, the European Parliament published ‘A European strategy for the promotion of protein crops’ (2017/2116(INI))[1] and ‘European Protein Strategy’ (2023/2015(INI)).[2] 

More recently, non-plant alternative proteins have become salient as a potential substitute for animal-based products. As these alternatives rise in interest from consumers and industry in the EU and other countries, there is an opportunity to consider their wider potential to contribute to the overall protein balance.

State of play

This section sets out the state of play for protein in human food and animal feed from conventional animal and plant-based sources and alternative protein sources that could substitute for meat and dairy products. The current environmental costs and geopolitical challenges arising from that balance are also considered.