Protein white paper

Due to our growing global populations, increasing concern for our environment and a growing research evidence-base, interest around protein, sources and intakes, has been advancing rapidly. Unfortunately, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere many protein guidelines are fast becoming outdated. Our current recommendations were established in 1991 and were derived from nitrogen-balance studies conducted mostly in the 1970s. In recent times, ‘protein balance’ is now beginning to encompass a whole new meaning – where the protein is sourced from, its quality, the amounts needed, its implication for health and its wider environmental impact.