The protein supplement market is under FSSAI radar; experts welcome the intervention

The category has long been riddled with counterfeit products, sub-par testing, and misleading claims.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is poised to implement more stringent regulations on protein supplements following an extensive study that highlighted an influx of products sitting in retail stores, gymnasiums, and e-commerce platforms, many of which featured dubious health claims and inaccurate nutritional information.

The inevitable implementation of the upcoming guidelines could also lead to the banning of products that are not in compliance with the directions, as per industry reports.

The protein supplement market in India, hosting many popular brands such as MuscleBlaze, BigMuscles, Optimum Nutrition, among others, is riddled with counterfeit products and deceptive marketing practices, which can potentially translate into severe health risks for consumers.

A study published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed journal Medicine found that nearly 70% of 36 popular supplements sold in India contained incorrect protein information, with some brands offering only half of what they claimed. Furthermore, approximately 14% of the samples contained harmful fungal aflatoxins, and 8% showed traces of pesticide residue.

For further context, more than 40,000 cases were filed in 2022-23 against samples of unsafe protein powders and dietary supplements that did not meet food safety standards, according to the Union Health Ministry.

With protein supplements growing increasingly relevant for fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts, it was only a matter of time before the authorities stepped in to bring order. And industry sentiment appears to be in favour of the intervention.

Himmath Jain, who is the co-founder and director of AS-IT-IS Nutrition, a sports nutrition brand that also has a whey protein offering, says that the new rules will only improve the standards and safety of the category, while weeding out the miscreants. 

“With the growing popularity of protein supplements, there has been an influx of substandard and counterfeit products on the market. Stricter regulations from FSSAI will help in maintaining high standards, ensuring that consumers receive products that are safe, effective, and of high quality,” he opines.

Jain also believes that while the new guidelines could potentially work in favour of already established brands in the category, it will also push the new entrants to up their standards.

He says, “For established brands that already adhere to high standards, the impact will be minimal, possibly even positive, as it will help weed out inferior competitors. For new entrants, the guidelines will necessitate significant investment in quality control and compliance, which could raise barriers to entry. Overall, the market will benefit from increased consumer confidence and trust.”

Chetan Kanani, who is the CEO and co-founder of Alpino Health Foods, also believes that the new entrants in the category will be the most impacted by the new guidelines.

He says, “Established brands will not be much impacted by these, as the majority of them are already following the US and European guidelines. For the new brands entering the market, it will be way harder for them to register and approve the product. Nothing is mentioned by the FSSAI on how and when the new guidelines will be implemented, let’s wait and watch what happens in the future.” 

Alpino Health Foods has a peanut protein powder offering in its product portfolio.

With the high prevalence of fake products in the market, reputable brands are also taking measures to prevent counterfeiting by offering verifiable QR codes, product codes and post-purchase verification methods. As per Kanani, this issue can only be resolved when the brand and the consumers both join hands and shut the fake industry down.

“The consumer needs to be extra cautious when purchasing the products. If you buy supplements from an unknown third-party seller with heavily discounted prices, chances are the product is a counterfeit. Try to purchase the products directly from the brand’s website or on Amazon and Flipkart from authorized sellers. If you’re buying from the offline store, try the same method and maybe ask for the brand’s authorisation letter or certificate of authenticity,” he says.

With the category being heavily contaminated with so many underlying issues, consumers, by and large, are also sceptical about the products. In fact, a quick glance at protein powder products on e-comm platforms shows a varying degree of consumer dissatisfaction with either sub-par quality or outright fake products. 

With such consumer sentiment in mind, the marketing requisites for the brands in the category also differ distinctly. Anyone who’s acquainted with the gymming culture knows how crucial word of mouth is for these products to sell. Bodybuilders, who form the majority of consumers of these supplements, rely heavily on trustworthy testimonials from their peers, trainers and friends, as per Jain.

He says, “Word-of-mouth is crucial in this industry. Positive testimonials from satisfied customers and endorsements from fitness influencers significantly influence purchasing decisions. Personal recommendations build trust and credibility, which are essential in the health and nutrition sector.”

It must also be noted that in the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of fitness influencers on the internet. In India and globally, this has helped grow the fitness industry and the protein supplements industry massively, as per Chetan Kenani.

“India’s protein market is USD 1.40 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow by 6.07% by 2029. The key drivers include increasing awareness of health and well-being, consumer knowledge, COVID push, and of course, the impact of influencers which has contributed to the increase in market share. Digital-first brands and influencers from the health and wellness space are coming together to push this industry beyond its limits,” he points out. 

Praful Akali, who is the founder of Medulla Communications, a pharma and healthcare communications agency, says that the category predominantly caters to a very refined and aware set of consumers, which makes its marketing all the more important. 

He says, “Protein supplements are predominantly used by consumers who have been gymming for at least six months and not those just flirting with gymming. Since the consumers are such loyal and regular users, marketing needs to focus on the product before they focus on marketing. Parameters of goodness, easy to digest, robust certifications and testing have to be built into the product portfolios.”

He adds, “Word of mouth, social media and YouTube influencers, gym instructors, retail recommendations, known consumer or industry certifications – all play a key role in marketing.  Yet no brand else has built a simple online platform for nutrition training and certification of gym instructors, or an online networking platform for fitness enthusiasts to learn from each other.”

Medulla Communications has worked with popular protein brands such as MuscleBlaze and BigMuscles. As per Akali, the first thing the agency noticed before working in the category was the sheer number of negative reviews mixed with polar opposite views, towards many brands on the internet. This, as per him, indicated a more fundamental problem with players in the market. 

“This is typically a sign of brands indulging in paid and incentivised reviews. If brands could invest the same monies in research and ingredient sourcing, they might not need to invest in paid reviews given the consumer loyalty and deep understanding in this particular category,” he says.