During the Bradesco BBI Agro Summit, Gilberto Tomazoni highlighted that new consumption habits are leading the industry to consider amino acids, bioactive peptides, and functional applications of protein.
The search for health, functionality and higher nutritional quality is leading the global food industry to a new stage: that of precision nutrition. This assessment was made by Gilberto Tomazoni, Global CEO of JBS, during the Bradesco BBI Agro Summit, held in São Paulo.
Alongside Pedro Fernandes, a partner at McKinsey & Company, and moderated by Henrique Brustolin of Bradesco BBI, Tomazoni stated that there is a structural shift underway in food consumption. According to the executive, protein is no longer seen solely as a source of satiety or muscle building, but is now also analyzed for its composition, digestibility, amino acid profile, and functional potential.
“We are seeing a structural change that will affect everything we understand as nutrition. There is a rediscovery of protein as a health driver. Consumers are not just looking at protein, but at the amino acid profile of those proteins ,” said Tomazoni.
At the event, panelists discussed the influence of GLP-1 analog medications on consumption habits in Brazil. According to Tomazoni, this movement accelerates a broader transformation, associated with greater consumer attention to health, food composition, and nutritional quality. The executive stated that this change connects to the rediscovery of protein as an element associated with health and the nutritional value of food.
This new demand has led JBS to invest in biotechnology, research, and development to expand the applications of the protein. The company has been advancing in processes such as hydrolysis and identification of bioactive peptides, with the goal of transforming raw materials from the production chain into ingredients and products with higher added value.
Among the initiatives mentioned by the executive is the company’s biotechnology innovation center, JBS Biotech, in Florianópolis, dedicated to developing applied science for the production chain, to create and add value to food production. Tomazoni also highlighted the work of Genu-in, a JBS New Businesses company specializing in collagen and gelatin peptides. This operation develops ingredients and solutions for various applications in food, beverages, supplements, and functional products, connecting research, scientific validation, and industrial scale.
Tomazoni also addressed the change in consumer behavior in other markets. In the United States, Just Bare, a brand of Pilgrim’s Pride, controlled by JBS, reached US$1 billion in revenue in less than five years, driven by demand for frozen and fresh chicken.
According to Tomazoni, the growing demand for more nutritious foods needs to be accompanied by productivity gains. He believes the industry should use technology, scale, and innovation to produce better, reduce costs, and make new solutions accessible to consumers. “You can’t pass costs on to the consumer under the guise of sustainability. The key is to increase productivity with technology, scale, and innovation to reduce costs ,” said Tomazoni.
The executive also linked this agenda to global food security. After the pandemic, countries began to treat food supply as a strategic issue. In this context, Tomazoni said that Brazil has a relevant role due to its productive capacity and complementarity with markets that are not self-sufficient. “Food security has become a matter of state in all post-pandemic countries. Not all will be able to be self-sufficient, and Brazil is the ideal partner to complement this supply ,” he stated.
