Episode summary
Whey Protein Is Running Out as Americans Want It in Everything | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec, Emily Graffeo · Guests: Kristina Peterson
Summary
Protein maxing is spreading through packaged food as consumers demand more protein in yogurt, snacks, crackers, and even pancake mixes. Kristina Peterson says whey protein has become the preferred ingredient because it is easy to dissolve, easy to digest, and a complete protein, but the surge in demand is colliding with a tight supply chain and higher prices.
Peterson explains that whey is a byproduct of cheese-making, so producers cannot simply manufacture more whey without also making more cheese and handling the extra dairy output. That constraint is pushing food companies to look at substitutes such as milk protein concentrate, soy protein, and pea protein, though each alternative can change texture, mouth feel, or overall formulation.
She says some firms are already reformulating after ingredient swaps produced bad results, including a pancake mix that turned “to sawdust.” At the same time, protein-rich products still appear to have momentum, and Peterson does not see signs that consumer interest in protein is fading soon.
Key takeaways
- Kristina Peterson says whey protein shortages and soaring prices are forcing food companies to reformulate products or seek substitutes.
- Whey is hard to scale because it is a byproduct of cheese-making, not a standalone ingredient producers can easily ramp up.
- Peterson says milk protein concentrate, soy, and pea protein are being explored, but they can change mouth feel and product performance.
- She argues that consumers still view added protein as healthier, helping keep demand for protein-enriched products strong.
- Peterson says the protein trend still looks durable, with no clear signs of waning interest yet.
Notable quotes
“protein maxing is the phrase. Uh, to put it bluntly, companies finding ways to put protein into like literally every type of food”
“You can't just make more whey protein without making more cheese”
“it turned their pancake baking mix to sawdust so they have to reformulate now”
“I think it depends on the product. I'm not sure that just adding protein is enough to make a product healthy”
“There don't seem to be a lot of signs of waning interest in protein yet”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio, news. This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio.
Let's talk. You said powerful. Has it been sprinkling whey protein powder on the stock?
That's the question. Has HPE been mixing protein powder with its yogurt in order to get really, I don't know, pumped up in the gym? Um, that's certainly a trend that we're seeing, Tim.
Uh, protein maxing is the phrase. Uh, to put it bluntly, companies finding ways to put protein into like literally every type of food and consumers eating it up because suddenly this is the hot new trend. It's funny how food trends work and yeah, protein is the trend of the year.
We'll see if this trend sticks. And what it's actually doing is having the industry grapple with some shortages and skyrocketing prices when it comes to whey protein. Here with the story, Bloomberg News food reporter Christina Peterson joins us from the Bloomberg Washington DC bureau.
That was a very inelegant segue on my part, but we had to talk about Huelet Packard Enterprise before we talked about protein maxing. So, apologies to everybody, including you, Christina. First of all, um I I I got to tell you, I'm seeing whey protein everywhere on social media.
Like people are just sprinkling it on everything. Before we get to what's actually happening in the industry and what we're seeing as far as numbers look, what what is it a byproduct of? How is it made?
Where does it come from?
Yeah. So whey protein is a byproduct of making cheese. And that's a big part of the essential challenge right now. You can't just make more whey protein without making more cheese. and then you would have to store it and sell all that cheese.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- whey protein shortages
- food ingredient prices
- protein supply chain
- reformulated food products
- plant based protein alternatives
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Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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