Sugar, sucralose, flavourings: what's really in your whey (and ours)

Most people don't read the label on the protein tub they buy. Partly because the labels are small. Another part because the lists are long and confusing. And a good part because we've been told that "if it's protein, it's good."

All of this is normal. When I bought my first tub, years ago, I didn't read it either.

Today, as a manufacturer, I read my competitors' labels once a month. I'll tell you what you'll find there and what makes sense.

What you'll find in a typical industrial whey.

A big brand whey (I won't name names, but you know them all) usually has between 10 and 18 ingredients once you add everything up. These are the most common:

• Whey protein concentrate or isolate. The main ingredient. "Concentrate" has between 70% and 80% protein; isolate goes up to 90-95%. Both are legitimate.
• Sweeteners. Sucralose, acesulfame K, stevia, thaumatin. They provide sweetness without adding calories. None are dangerous at the doses used, but some customers prefer to avoid them.
• Flavors. Natural or artificial. A "vanilla," a "chocolate," a "crema catalana." This is where the flavors come from.
• Colorants. Brown for chocolate, yellow for vanilla. Often artificial.
• Anti-caking agents. Silicon dioxide, calcium phosphate. They prevent the powder from clumping in the tub. Useful but not strictly necessary if the formulation is well done.
• Emulsifiers. Sunflower or soy lecithin. They help the powder dissolve well.
• Acidulants. Citric acid, malic acid. They give a slightly acidic touch to flavors like strawberry or lemon.
• Added vitamins and minerals. Sometimes they add B6, B12, magnesium. More marketing than necessity.
• Digestive enzymes. Lactase, papain. Useful if you specifically have problems with lactose.
• Added sugars. Maltodextrin, dextrose, cane sugar. They provide quick calories. Strength athletes look for them; most do not.

None of these ingredients are dangerous at legal doses. The problem isn't that they are there: it's that the list often grows for marketing, not technical necessity.

What's in our whey.

Quota Vita's Crema Catalana flavored Whey Protein has five ingredients. I'll list them for you:

1. Whey protein concentrate (milk). The main ingredient: 80% protein of the total product.
2. Sugar (1%). Yes, 1%. Per serving, we're talking about 0.3 g of added sugar. The rest of the 1.7 g of sugars on the label come from the natural lactose in the whey.
3. Emulsifier (sunflower lecithin). To ensure it dissolves well. From sunflower, not soy (better for sensitivities).
4. Sweetener (sucralose). To finish providing sweetness without adding calories.
5. Flavoring. The crema catalana flavor, formulated here.

Five. No colorants, no anti-caking agents, no opportunistically added vitamins.

The neutral version is even shorter: two ingredients (concentrate and sunflower lecithin). The horchata one has the same five as the crema catalana, but with horchata flavoring.

Why we haven't added anything else.

Three reasons.

First. Every extra ingredient opens up a conversation I don't want to have. If I add an artificial yellow colorant, I'll have to defend why. If I add magnesium, I'll have to explain how much it provides and if it's worth it. I formulate backward: I only add what provides real value.

Second. The real flavor doesn't need chemical help. If the crema catalana flavor is well formulated, you don't need a colorant to "know" it's crema catalana. The brain associates the flavor before the color.

Third. Yes, it costs a little more per tub. A whey with anti-caking agents flows more easily through the machine. One without is a bit slower to produce. I accept that.

How to read any protein label yourself.

Four rules:

1. Count the ingredients. If there are more than 8, ask yourself what marketing is behind each one.
2. Look at the order. Ingredients appear by descending weight. The first should be whey concentrate or isolate, not flavoring or sweetener.
3. Look at the percentage of protein out of the total, not just grams per serving. A whey with 24g of protein in 30g (80%) is more concentrated than one with 24g in 35g (68%), even if the shake "has the same grams of protein."
4. If there's a "local flavor" flavoring, look at where it's manufactured. A crema catalana made in Manchester or an horchata made in Poland won't have the same profile as those made here. It's not romanticism, it's aromatology.

If you want to see our complete labels, there's one on each product (crema catalana, horchata, neutral).

Gerard, founder.