Yo yo,
How is protein powder made? Think about this for a second before reading onwards. “Extracting the protein from foods?” Is an answer you may have come up with just now.
We all know the ingredients to our favourite meals and may even have the recipes. This is no different to protein powder, as knowing how it’s produced can provide us with clarity and awareness of what exactly we are putting inside our bodies.
To be honest, prior to researching and discovering the process, I thought the same thing and if you provided that answer, then you are correct, but only halfway. The next step is deciphering how it is actually extracted.
I believe this post will become handy for a number of reasons. One of them is that if you are/were like me, you’ll be asking your parents if you can buy it. They’ll likely ask something along the lines of “What is it?”. Just show them this post!
Another reason may be that you’re simply curious about the manufacturing process.
Whatever it may be, I hope this is helpful to you.
We will start by explaining the process of whey protein production. This is because whey protein powder is the most known and it’s quite likely that you will start with using this type of protein powder.
We will also briefly explain the production processes of the other types of protein powders, as there are numerous options on the market. Furthermore, we will mention the other types of manufacturers and there own production processes.
There is one final point to remember, but keep reading to find out.
Let’s get into it!
Steps for Whey Protein Powder
1. It begins with raw milk, where the milk is cooled and shipped to cheese-makers.
2. At the cheese-making facility, milk is heated quickly (so it is pasteurized). This process actually reduces the chances of illness, as the heat aims to kill the germs.
3. It is then introduced to enzymes that cause the whey to be separated from casein. The whey is the liquid and the casein is the solid.
4. The whey is moved to a manufacturing facility. From here, the liquid whey is then filtered to remove the fats and carbs, therefore becoming whey concentrate. (This concentrate is then 70% to 85% pure protein and the remainder is fats and carbs)
5. Finally, the liquid whey concentrate is spray-dried to become whey protein powder.
It’s quite an interesting process, at least to me it is. It all starts from raw milk to then becomes a protein powder.
Now this is just a general explanation of the production process for the standard whey protein powder. There are many others, so let’s go into the others.
We will now move into the differences in production processes for other types.
Remembering the other types
There are many different types and options of protein powder on the market. This means that there are various different processes that are used for said options. Let’s get into the most common variants and provide a general explanation.
Whey protein isolate: As we now know, the standard whey protein concentrate undergoes a filtration process to remove the fats and carbs, which become concentrate. However, this end product is only 70% to 85% protein. With whey protein isolate, this type undergoes more extensive filtration, to the point where the end product is 90% pure protein.
Egg Protein Powder: This protein powder is made from egg whites in whole eggs. The egg white is separated from the egg yolks. The whites are then dehydrated and pasteurized. Finally, the resulting product is spray-dried.
Casein Protein Powder: Casein is like whey, as they both come from milk. Casein protein is obtained through enzyme coagulation of milk, which then forms curds. You may remember that whey protein is actually separated from casein. We are now using the other component.
So what happens is that the curds are skimmed, washed and dehydrated to purify the casein protein. The curds are then finally dried, to create the powder.
Pea Protein Powder: Peas are carefully selected for the process. They are then washed, dried and grounded into flour. This makes the process of extracting the protein much easier. The flour is then mixed with water to remove the fibre and starch. Note that enzymes can be used to assist in the separation. After mixing, the paste is subjected to filtration systems to separate the protein from the insoluble fibres. It is then concentrated and dried to provide the powder.
Hemp Protein Powder: The hemp seed shells are removed and are then pressed together to remove the oil. Following this, the seeds are grounded into a fine powder. After, the powder may go through a process to remove any remaining fragments and impurities.
Brown rice Protein powder: The rice is milled to remove the outer hull. It then undergoes dehulling. The rice eventually experiences an enzyme treatment process and this helps to extract the protein. Following this, the rice is separated into different components. Finally, the protein component is then dried to remove moisture and create a protein powder.
Differences in Manufacturers
It is important to remember that manufacturers have their own unique processes that they use. Not all of them will use the same and some will utilise the most cost-effective methods to reduce costs.
Sometimes these cost-effective methods result in manufacturers prioritising profits over the quality of their product. If you’re still nervous about what protein powder you should use, in the near future I will provide a list of my personal favourites.
Something to remember
Protein powder is only a supplement and should not be relied upon for your goals. You may realise that after reading this post, protein powder as a whole is too processed for your liking and may be put off by it.
That’s alright, as the whole purpose of this post was to expand your knowledge on the production process surrounding protein powders.
I always like to reiterate this point because it is such an important reminder. When I was in the earlier stages of my fitness journey, I thought the reason that I wasn’t making any progress was that I wasn’t using protein powder, or that I was using the incorrect one.
So always remember this point. It’s a supplement and not a reliance.
To Finish
It’s clear that protein powder and its various options undergo many different processes. I hope this post was able to teach you something today and maybe helped you convince your parents to give you the green light on buying it.
Thanks for taking the time to read and I’ll see you next time!
(You can also let me know anything about production in the comments. I’m always up for learning!)
