Is Protein Powder Ultra Processed?

Protein powders are a common sight in gyms and kitchens alike, often used by those looking to build muscle or improve their diet. But with concerns over UPFs on the rise, many wonder is protein powder ultra processed? Let’s explore. 

What Is Protein Powder? 

Protein powders are powdered forms of different types of protein from milk (whey or casein), eggs or plants (such as hemp, pea, rice, soybeans). This powder usually includes other ingredients to make it taste good. 

This can include added sugars or sweeteners, artificial flavours, thickeners and a whole host of other things to make it palatable and great tasting. The amount of protein per scoop can vary from as little as 10 grams to up to 30 grams dependent on who the product is targeting. 

Protein powder was first created in the 1930s to help nourish malnourished patients. By the 1960s, it had become popular among bodybuilders and athletes looking to improve their performance. Since the 2000s, its appeal has broadened significantly, attracting a wide variety of consumers, not solely those aiming to build muscle.

What Are Ultra Processed Foods? 

Ultra processed foods are made from ingredients that are not typically found in the home kitchen. They often include artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners and preservatives. Similarities with protein powders are already shining through.

These foods are usually high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and salt, but low in important nutrients like fibre and vitamins. They are made to be highly palatable and encourage you to eat more. 

UPFs are typically created by a series of industrial techniques and processes. 

At First Glance: Is Protein Powder Ultra Processed?

Packaging

Protein powders are packaged in sealed containers that extend shelf life and maintain freshness. This packaging is typical of ultra processed foods, designed to keep the product stable and free from contamination over extended periods. 

Ready to Eat

Most protein powders are marketed as ready-to-use, requiring minimal preparation such as simply mixing with water or milk.

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5+ Ingredients

Generally, when looking for this product it will contain a lot more than 5 ingredients. As most protein powders are, we have a tick here. Of course, if you just buy pure then this wouldn’t we the case.

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Use of Additives

Additives are common in protein powders to enhance flavour, texture, and shelf life, including artificial and natural flavourings, sweeteners, and preservatives. Even pure, unflavoured powders can contain additives still.

Quite frankly, protein powder isn’t very nice plain! If you do opt for plain, I am sure like most people you will blend it into a smoothie. 

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Industrial Processing Techniques

Advanced techniques such as isolation, filtration, and drying are used. These processes substantially alter the original form of the raw ingredients. 

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High Sugar, Fat, or Salt Content

While protein powders typically focus on high protein content, some may include added sugars or other components to improve taste. COME BACK TO

Lack of Whole Foods

The base ingredients in protein powders, while derived from natural sources like milk, soy, or peas, undergo such extensive processing that they move far from their whole, natural forms. 

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Degree of Transformation

Protein powders undergo significant transformation from their original ingredients to the final powdered form. This includes various stages of processing that strip away other natural components and concentrate the proteins. 

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Natural Flavourings

Lots of the flavoured options on the market will contain natural flavourings.

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Types Of Protein Powder & Their Processing 

Milk Proteins

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Whey & Casein 

Both whey and casein are byproducts of cheese production. During the cheese making process, special enzymes or acids are added to heated milk.  These cause the casein in the milk to coagulate, making it separate from a liquid substance. 

This liquid substance is whey protein. It gets washed and dried into a powdered form. The remaining curds of casein care then washed and dried to created casein protein powder (or added to dairy products). 

Whey accounted for 20% of the total protein from milk, while casein comprised 80%. 

It is extracted from milk during the cheese making process, involving pasteurisation, filtration, and drying. So is whey protein powder upf? The significant alteration of the milk’s natural state qualifies it as ultra processed. 

Similarly, casein is isolated from milk through processes that remove lactose and fats, using techniques like filtration. Its extensive processing to isolate the protein also makes it ultra-processed. 

Plant-Based Proteins

Soy 

Soy protein is derived from defatted soybean flakes, which are washed in alcohol or water to remove fibre and sugar. They are then dehydrated and powdered. This is quite a modification from its original form.

Pea

Pea protein is made from yellow split peas (Pisum sativum). The outer shells are mechanically removed and then the peas are ground and milled into a flour. The flour then goes through a wet filtration process and is centrifuged to remove starch and fibre. This leaves behind a paste of protein. This paste is then dried further, which results in pure protein in the form of a powder. This is a significant alteration from the pea’s natural composition.

Brown Rice

Brown rice protein powder is produced through a series of extensive steps, starting with the milling of brown rice to remove its outer layers, converting it into white rice to reduce fibre and nutrient content and then focusing on the protein.

An enzymatic treatment is used to separate the protein. This is where specific enzymes are used to break down the carbohydrates to separate the protein. The mixture is then filtered to separate the protein. Once separated, the protein solution is purified and concentrated to increase its protein content. This purified protein is then dried into a fine powder.

Hemp

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Hemp protein powder is made by cold-pressing hemp seeds to extract the oil, leaving behind a protein-rich seed “cake”. This cake is then milled into a fine powder, which may be sifted to remove larger fibres, resulting in a high-protein product rich in fibre and essential fatty acids.

The process uses no high temperatures or solvents, preserving the nutrients in the seeds. Most hemp protein powders are made using this cold-pressing method, which is minimal in regards to processing, compared to some of the other protein powder options here.

Egg 

Egg protein powder, typically derived from egg whites (although there are whole egg protein options too), is made by separating the egg whites from the yolks. The egg whites are then pasteurised to kill any bacteria present. Once pasteurised, the whites are transformed into a powder through spraying drying. This drying process is gentle enough to keep the proteins in their undenatured form, which is beneficial for maintaining the nutritional quality.

Some manufacturers take things a step further with agglomeration. Agglomeration makes the powder easier to mix with liquids and requires slightly rewetting the powder to form small, easily dissolvable clusters.

Egg white protein tends to come as just that, with no additional ingredients. However, you may find flavoured versions too, which of course will contain a whole host of questionable ingredients.

Flavoured Protein Powders 

When buying a protein powder, the likelihood is you will aim for a flavoured option. Flavoured protein powders contain a whole host of additional ingredients that you would typically see in ultra processed foods.  

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the types of ingredients you might find on the back of the packet:

Sweeteners

• Artificial Sweeteners: These may include aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. These are synthetic and are used because they provide a high level of sweetness without the added calories.
• Natural Sweeteners: Options like stevia, monk fruit extract, and xylitol. While these are sourced from natural ingredients, they often undergo extensive processing to convert them into a usable powdered form.

Artificial Flavours

These are chemically created flavours designed to mimic natural tastes. They are listed as “artificial flavours” on labels and are used to make the protein powders more appealing.

Preservatives

Common preservatives in protein powders include sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and tocopherols. These are added to extend the shelf life of the product by preventing microbial growth and oxidation.

Thickeners and Emulsifiers

• Thickeners: Such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and cellulose gum. These agents help improve the texture of the protein shake, making it smoother and more palatable.
• Emulsifiers: Such as soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin. Emulsifiers are added to help water and fats mix more uniformly, preventing separation and improving consistency.

Additional Additives

• Colourants: Sometimes added to make the powders visually appealing, especially in flavours like strawberry (red) or banana (yellow).
• Filler Agents: Ingredients like maltodextrin and cellulose are used to add bulk to the powder, helping to fill up the container and make the product seem like better value.

Examples Of Popular Protein Powders & Their Ingredients 

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein 

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Chocolate Flavour Ingredients: Whey protein blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, hydrolysed whey protein isolate), soy lecithin (emulsifier), fat-reduced cocoa powder, flavourings, thickener (xantham gum), sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K). 

The Chocolate version has a whole host of questionable ingredients and ones found typically within UPFs. It has a thickener, emulsifier and flavourings!

Unflavoured Ingredients: whey protein blend (whey protein isolate, when protein concentrate, hydrolysed whey protein isolate, emulsifier (soy lecithin). 

Although unflavoured isn’t flavoured, it’s important to point out that unflavoured doesn’t mean it will be void of other ingredients. In this case, the unflavoured version contains an emulsifier. This won’t be typical of all but worth always checking the ingredients if you aim for unflavoured versions. 

Bulk Vegan Protein Powder – Vanilla

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Ingredients: Vegan protein blend (pea protein isolate, soya protein isolate, pumpkin seed protein, quinoa flour, flaxseed powder), flavouring, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), sweetener (steviol gylcosides from stevia) DigeZyme Enzyme Complex (amylase, protease, cellulase, lactase, lipase), thickener (xantham gum). 

This popular vegan protein blend has sweeteners, emulsifier and thickener making it ultra processed. 

So, we can say for certain flavour protein powders are ultra processed.  

Is Protein Powder Ultra Processed on the NOVA Scale? 

On the NOVA scale, which categorises foods based on the extent of their processing, most protein powders are classified as Group 4 (ultra processed food products) due to their synthetic ingredients and complex manufacturing processes. 

Is Protein Powder Ultra Processed on Open Food Facts? 

According to Open Food Facts, which tracks additives and processing, protein powders typically list as ultra processed because of their ingredients and the processes they undergo. 

Least Processed Protein Powder? 

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EGG WHITE POWDER

BUY EGG PROTEIN

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EGG WHITE POWDER

BUY EGG PROTEIN

Hemp and egg protein powders are less processed than some of the other options available.

For those looking for potentially the best options out of a bad bunch, egg and hemp proteins present themselves as favourable. Both of these proteins undergo minimal processing compared to other protein powders, preserving much of their natural nutrients.

Egg protein powder is simply just egg whites (or the whole egg) that have been dehydrated and powdered. The process is straight forward which helps avoid any unnecessary chemicals or filler. The integrity of the protein is maintained too. 

Hemp protein is made by cold pressing hemp seeds to extract the oil. The remaining seed is then milled into a seed ‘cake’. This does not involve any chemical treatments, ensuring the natural nutrients, such as fibres and minerals, are retained

Non-Ultra Processed Options?

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UPF FREE PROTEIN POWDER

BUY UPF FREE PROTEIN

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UPF FREE PROTEIN POWDER

BUY UPF FREE PROTEIN

There is 1 option currently on the market that claims to not be ultra processed. The Organic Protein Company use cold filtration and low-temperature drying methods to process the protein, which they claim preserves the natural structure and functionality of the protein better than more common high-heat methods.

The company underlines that about 80% of their whey protein remains undenatured, maintaining high bioavailability and preserving bioactive components like Alpha Lactalbumin and Immunoglobulin G, which have notable health benefits.

They source their whey protein from organic, grass-fed cows’ milk, adhering to ethical and sustainable practices. The company avoids synthetic additives and chemicals, aligning their product with NOVA’s category 2: “Processed culinary ingredients” which includes minimally altered foods from their natural state.

This sounds promising—a company attempting to provide a superior product that is less processed. Despite the gentler techniques though, it’s still a product that undergoes significant transformation, stripping away many of the components that make up whey and concentrating on the protein. 

However, it does not squarely fit into the category of ultra processed foods and I can see how they can claim to be more in line with category 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients.

• Processing Techniques: The techniques used by The Organic Protein Company, such as cold filtration and low-temperature drying, are designed to minimise alteration and preserve the natural qualities of the whey protein. These methods are less harsh compared to the extensive physical, chemical, and biological processing typical of ultra processed foods.
  
• Ingredients: The protein powder is made from organic, grass-fed cow’s milk without synthetic additives or unnatural ingredients. This is a key factor, as ultraprocessed foods often contain ingredients that are rarely used in home cooking or are exclusively of industrial use. They aren’t filling it with
  
• Purpose and Nature of Processing: The purpose of the processing methods used by The Organic Protein Company is to make the protein safe for consumption and to preserve its nutritional qualities, rather than to highly transform or synthesise a new product from various isolated ingredients. This aligns more closely with the definition of minimally processed foods within the NOVA system.
  
• Nutritional Balance: The whey protein maintains a high nutritional value, preserving essential amino acids and bioactive proteins. Ultra-processed foods, on the other hand, are often nutritionally unbalanced and linked to negative health outcomes.
  

This product seems to reside in a grey area closer to “processed foods” or even “processed culinary ingredients” due to its minimal ingredient list and preservation-focused processing techniques.

It might just offer a more nutritionally sound option compared to more heavily processed alternatives on the market.

There is some commendable attributes here however and I can see how this is not really in line with the true meaning and purpose that emcompasses ultra processed foods.

Alternatives to Protein Powder 

Instead of protein powders, incorporating whole food sources such as Greek yoghurt, nuts, or seeds into your diet can provide high quality protein without the extensive processing and is arguably a lot cheaper!

Below are some options:

• Milk (cow’s, soy, hemp) 
• Other milk products: greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, kefir 
• Tofu 
• Nuts: peanuts, cashews, almonds (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter) 
• Seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. 
• Grains/Beans: Oats, quinoa, white beans, black beans, lentils 

Conclusion 

So to answer the question: is protein powder considered ultra processed? I think we can say that is most circumstances it is a resounding yes. While protein powders offer a convenient source of protein, it might be worth considering the more minimally processed options, such as hemp or egg, or exploring whole food alternatives.

For more burning questions such as is protein powder UPF, check out our: Is this food ultra proccessed? section