According to an industry report by Analytical Market Research, Irish dairy companies stand to make significant profits in the rapidly growing global market for whey proteins. The global market – which was valued at €7.7bn in 2025 – is projected to grow to €11.6bn by 2030. This growth is driven by whey, which has evolved from a by-product of cheese and casein production into one of the most profitable functional ingredients in the sports, clinical and lifestyle nutrition sectors.

Irish dairies such as Tirlán, Glanbia Nutritionals, the Kerry Group and the Carbery Group are competing with global giants such as Fonterra, Arla Foods Ingredients, Lactalis Ingredients and FrieslandCampina Ingredients. The report highlights vertical integration – control over both the raw milk supply and the downstream processing stages – as a crucial competitive advantage that shields integrated co-operatives from fluctuations in raw milk prices, which often put pressure on pure processing companies.

Market demand is developing along two distinct commercial pathways: on the one hand, there is demand for whey protein concentrate (WPC) in bulk quantities of standard quality for fortifying common foods and drinks; on the other, there is demand for high-margin whey protein isolate (WPI) and hydrolysates, which are specifically tailored to infant formula, medical recovery and sports nutrition.