How is Whey Protein Powder made?

Whey protein powder is made from a high protein milk byproduct of the cheese making process. First milk is pasteurised to remove any bacteria and then it is separated into curds used for cheese making and liquid whey. This liquid whey is then filtered and spray dried into a powder. This provides a very low cost “whey concentrate” that can also contain some fats, carbs and lactose. Whey concentrate is around 80% pure protein.

Whey isolates undergo the same process as whey concentrates but undergo a great deal more filtering to remove any fat, carbs or lactose content. The remaining whey isolate is generally around 90% pure. Whey isolate generally offers the best value for efficiency.

The third type is whey hydrolysate, which is even further filtered as well as pre-digested with enzymes which break down some of the amino acid bonds. This makes whey hydrolysate much faster digesting with rapid absorption of amino acids.