Differences In Consumer Perceptions of Protein in the Diet

1st December 2011
Fonterra Research Shows up National Differences In Consumer Perceptions of Protein in the Diet

Consumer research carried out by Fonterra Premium Ingredients has revealed significant national differences in the perceived role of protein in the diet.

The research shows Chinese consumers are aware and concerned about the need to increase protein intake, unlike the Germans, who see less need to take pro-active measures towards a healthier lifestyle.

Announcing the headline results of the research at the Food Ingredients Europe exhibition in Paris (29 November – 1 December), Fonterra European General Manager Koert Liekelema says the results have important implications for countries with ageing populations, such as those in Europe.

`We know from the European Food Safety Authority that the overall daily intake of dietary protein in Europe exceeds current recommendations. However, this conceals a pattern of intake in adults, and particularly older adults that may be below the amount needed to maintain optimal muscle mass,’ Mr Liekelema said.

The global population is ageing. By 2050 it is estimated that more than two billion people will be over 60 years of age. Ageing is associated with a decline in muscle mass and function. This loss of muscle is known as sarcopenia. The loss of muscle mass appears to begin relatively early (20-30 years of age), and continues until the end of life (Stein et al, 1999). The process is gradual in the first few decades of adult life (~3% per decade), and the rate of loss appears to increase in later decades of life (over 7% per decade)

The Fonterra research looked at a total of 4,000 consumers who were healthy and between 40-75 years of age in four international markets, the US, France, Germany and China.

It found that the Chinese have the highest consumer awareness of sarcopenia and that they eat accordingly, with three-in-four 40-75 year olds of mid-to-high income claiming they are willing to buy food with higher protein.

Americans have comparatively low levels of awareness of sarcopenia, however, one-in-two American consumers will typically adjust their diet on being made aware of the condition and 60% are willing to buy food with higher protein.

There was low awareness of sarcopenia amongst French consumers and only one-in-three of those aware of the condition do anything about it with their diet by buying food with extra protein.

The Germans have an extremely low awareness of sarcopenia in particular and appear to be reluctant to take health conditions into consideration in diets generally. Only one-in-four German consumers is willing to buy foods with higher protein.
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Further information:
1.) Protein intakes in excess of current recommendations may help support muscle protein synthesis (Morais et al, 2006). However, the pattern of consumption may also have a substantial influence on minimising muscle protein loss (Paddon-Jones and Rasmussen, 2009). This has led to calls to alter protein recommendations to reflect the recent evidence related to pattern of protein intake (Layman, 2009).
2.) Dairy proteins, especially whey proteins are high quality proteins that contain elevated concentrations of leucine compared to other dietary proteins, and are capable of maximally stimulating muscle protein synthesis, enabling the maximum retention of muscle mass (Phillips et al, 2009).
3.) Daily intake of dietary protein is in excess of current recommendations (European Food Safety Authority, 2011). However, the pattern of intake in adults, and also intakes in older adults may be below the amount needed to maintain muscle mass optimally (Paddon-Jones and Rasmussen, 2009).
4.) The pattern of protein consumption appears to be skewed towards meals consumed later in the day (de Castro et al, 1997) depending on culture. This presents an opportunity to provide protein enriched product to support muscle protein synthesis, particularly at breakfast.

References:
Stein C, Mortz I. World Health Organisation. A life course perspective on maintaining independence in older age, 1999, http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1999/WHO_HSC_AHE_99.2_life.pdf Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 8:56:19PM
Fry CS, Drummond MJ, Glynn EL, Dickinson JM, Gundermann DM, Timmerman KL, Walker DK, Dhanani S, Volpi E, Rasmussen BB (2011)
Aging impairs contraction-induced human skeletal muscle mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis. Skeletal Muscle, 1, 11
Drummond MJ, Dreyer HC, Fry CS, Glynn EL, Rasmussen BB (2009) Nutritional and contractile regulation of human skeletal muscle protein synthesis and mTORC1 signalling. Journal of Applied Physiology,106,1374-1384
Devkota S, Layman DK. (2010) Protein metabolic roles in treatment of obesity. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care,13,403-407
Dangin M, Boirie Y, Garcia-Rodenas C, Gachon P, Fauquant J, Callier P, Ballèvre O, Beaufrère B (2001) The digestion rate of protein is an independent regulating factor of postprandial protein retention. American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, 280, E340-E348
Morais JA, Chevalier S, Gougeon R (2006) Protein turnover and requirements in the healthy and frail elderly. Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging,10,272-283
Symons TB, Sheffield-Moore M, Wolfe RR, Paddon-Jones D (2009) A moderate serving of high-quality protein maximally stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis in young and elderly subjects. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109, 1582-1586
Katsanos CS, Chinkes DL, Paddon-Jones D, Zhang XJ, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR. (2008) Whey protein ingestion in elderly persons results in greater muscle protein accrual than ingestion of its constituent essential amino acid content. Nutrition Research,28,651-658
Phillips SM (2010) The science of muscle hypertrophy: making dietary protein count. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 70, 100-103
Phillips SM, Tang JE, Moore DR. (2009) The role of milk- and soy-based protein in support of muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein accretion in young and elderly persons. Journal of the American College of Nutrition,28,343-354.
Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. (2009) Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Medical Care,12,86-90
Layman DK (2009) Dietary Guidelines should reflect new understandings about adult protein needs. Nutrition and Metabolism,13,12.
European Food Safety Authority (2011) Scientific opinion on Dietary Reference Values for Protein (draft). European Food Safety Authority, Parma, Italy
de Castro JM, Bellisle F, Feunekes GIJ, Dalix AM, De Graaf C (1997) Culture and meal patterns: A comparison of the food intake of free-living American, Dutch and French students. Nutrition Research,17, 807-829

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