Weight-loss drugs fuel protein boom, but with more consumer scrutiny

By Waylon Cunningham and Nicholas P. Brown Oct 23 (Reuters) Protein-infused bottled water. Ice cream. Boxed macaroni and cheese. Even vodka. The rise of weight-loss drugs is driving a boom in protein-based products, as users of GLP-1 medication like Novo Nordisk s Ozempic and Eli Lilly s Mounjaro look for ways to counter the muscle loss those drugs can cause. GLP-1 users say they will spend 11% more on high-protein foods than before starting the drugs, according to an August survey from Boston Consulting Group. Even ​as consumers seek out new sources of protein for their diets, they are becoming more skeptical of foods advertised as high-protein, Reuters interviews with consumers and company executives ‌found. Some shoppers question whether products contain as much protein as advertising implies, while blanching at those that pack in so many additives or sugar that they undercut the health pitch. A report from marketing research firm NielsenIQ earlier this year said the snack industr