Why Whey Protein Is Expensive? (5 Reasons Explained)

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We need proteins throughout our body for the overall good functioning of it. Both the natural sources and supplements are excellent sources of proteins, especially Whey Protein.

Whey Protein is the combination of proteins extracted from the liquid part of curdled milk—whey. The demand for whey protein is boosting day by day in the fitness industry, and why not? It offers numerous benefits to bodybuilders, athletes, weightlifters, and so on.

So do the prices of whey! If you are really a fan of whey protein, you must notice that whey costs more than other protein powders. Well, there’s an old saying, “nothing good is free”!

But why? Why whey costs more than other protein powders? That’s why we are here! This article has covered the pricing and reasons for whey’s high cost. So, let’s get started.

 

Price of Whey Protein

Prize of Whey Protein

On average, 2.5 kg of whey protein costs ranges from Rs. 6000 to Rs. 7000. But it doesn’t mean that it is the minimum cost. There are both cheap and expensive whey proteins available in the market.

The prices of cheap whey start from Rs. 800; however, the problem with cheap whey is that mixed ingredients are usually of bad quality and are degraded. Many whey proteins that have become reputed brands due to their excellent quality costs higher than Rs. 7,000.

Well, that’s a lot! I am sure you must be eager to know why whey is so expensive. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

 

Whey Protein is so Expensive: Why?

We cannot deny that whey protein is an all-in-one supplement as it offers many benefits. It is one possible reason for the high costs of whey protein. There are several other reasons why protein is so expensive. Let’s have a look.

 

Composition of Whey Protein

composition of Whey

Many protein powders are available in the market, but they provide only one or two nutrients. On the other hand, with whey protein, you do not have to consume any other supplements. It has got you covered with every nutrient.

First, it is a complete source of proteins, i.e., it has all the nine essential amino acids that our body cannot produce naturally. Whey protein includes multivitamins, minerals, fats (in moderation), glutamine, lactose, etc.

Honestly, if you spend on these nutrients individually then, it will cost you a fortune! Whey protein provides most of the nutrients that are too good quality, which is why it is expensive.

 

Expensive Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process of whey protein is a bit long and expensive. It involves lots of stages of milk filtration so that no unwanted bacteria can enter the protein. Then it is evaporated and spray dried.

Nowadays, flavored whey is also available, which adds more steps to the whole production process. Many other hidden steps, such as packaging, storing, etc., help you get safe, healthy, and nutritious whey protein for consumption.

This whole manufacturing process of whey supplements is expensive, which in turn makes the product too expensive.

 

Convenient and Healthy

We cannot avoid whey proteins available in the market are more convenient than making it at home.

After all, whey protein is found in milk, but it still requires a lot of time and effort to extract whey from casein (other protein found in milk) and then convert it into powder. Don’t we all agree?

Also, all the whey proteins get through many tests and quality standards before showing up in the market. So, you get an assurance that it is safe for your health; however, in cheap or homemade whey protein, the quality is not that good and can cause some side effects.

It doesn’t mean that cheap or homemade are total waste; they have their benefits as well. It’s your choice, but we suggest you go for the product that meets the quality standards.

 

Imported Costs

Imported

Usually, good-quality whey protein and raw whey gets imported into India by Indian brands. But as we all know, an imported product is always expensive.

When whey gets imported other than manufacturing cost, many costs such as shipping, import duties, transportation, and other taxes add up, making the already costly whey protein more expensive.

However, not all whey gets imported; some best whey proteins manufactured by Indian protein brands are less expensive than the imported ones. So, here you have a choice!

 

Supply and Demand

We cannot ignore the market forces while talking about the prices of produce—can we? Supply and demand, the market forces help to determine the costs of whey protein too.

No doubt, the demand for whey protein is boosting every day! The advantages it offers, such as weight loss, muscle gain, increases in strength, and many more, make it popular among gym-goers.

Such a tremendous increase in demand for whey protein in the market has led to a rise in its prices, making it more expensive over the years.

So, all the reasons mentioned above are the primary reasons whey protein is so expensive. But the advantages of whey over other proteins such as instant results, faster absorption rate, and easy digestion plays a vital role in high costs, which we must not forget.

 

You May Like To Read:

Best Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

Best Whey Protein For Beginners

What are the major types of whey proteins?

 

The Bottom Line

Whey protein is a supplement that offers maximum benefits for its value. Although whey protein is expensive, it is a recommendable product by most trainers and health experts. It is reliable, safer, nutritional, and healthier—what else do you want in a supplement?

So, overall, we think that whey protein is worth its value. Whey protein is genuinely expensive! Anyways, here we end our article. We hope that you liked the article and found it helpful.

2 thoughts on “Why Whey Protein Is Expensive? (5 Reasons Explained)”

  1. I work in the protein manufacturing industry for 25 years and I assure you that It’s not because it’s so hard and costly to produce as you may think. The main reason is the cost of marketing because even though protein powders are in high demand all around the world and the demand is growing every day the real problem is that there are countless small companies that do not produce proteins, but they sell it and since the market is over saturated with these protein marketing companies the need to spend a lot of money for marketing and advertising in order to get visibility in the market. If a consumer buys a 1 kg protein jar, about 60% of the price he or she pays is marketing costs. The idea that expensive whey is better than cheap no name whey is also false because there are only a few big companies in the world who really produce that stuff, almost all brands are just buying the same proteins from the same companies. The reason for that is that producing proteins is only cost-effective if you do it at scale, and you need industrial machinery like a spray dryer as big as a house of ultrafiltration pumps and large-scale centrifuges that cost millions. If you buy from let’s say Glanbia, one of the biggest producers of whey proteins in the world you pay between 5 and €17 per kilo (if you buy at least 500 kg to 700 kg) depending on if it’s a hydrolyzed Isolate with like 92% protein content or a simple milk protein concentrate with a protein content of around 80%. The end consumer sales prices are comprised of the ingredients, mixing and packaging, the packaging material (a PET jar, fulfillment and handling, a lot of marketing and advertising and profit for the people who sell it (the brand AKA the marketing company) This can add up to $60 per Kg.

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  2. Good comment from Phillipp.

    I believe Glanbia started to supply protein (sports recovery) drinks directly to supermarkets themselves a few years ago.

    If the co-ops/creamery’s themselves were to process whey into the same and supply direct to shops, and possibly offering powder aswell (just as milk powder is available) this could reduce the cost to the consumer greatly.

    Whey has become very expensive. Not long ago it was considered a waste product and used as animal feed. Go back further again before food processing became a thing and it was given to children in the morning mixed with milk/raw egg as a drink/meal, in Ireland and Scotland.

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