00:00The world is running out of whey protein.
00:02So how are we supposed to get our Starbucks protein lattes?
00:05Here's what's happening.
00:06Over the last few years,
00:07high protein has become the most powerful claim
00:09in the grocery store.
00:10Protein Eggo waffles, protein cold foam,
00:13protein candy, chips, soda, you get it.
00:15The ingredient powering most of it is whey protein.
00:18So what's happening now?
00:19Well, prices are up 40 to 50% in the last two months.
00:23Some suppliers are sold out through the end of the year
00:25and one company saw its cost climb 300% since 2023
00:29and pulled its product entirely.
00:31According to Bloomberg, Canadian baking company,
00:34Hello Aminos supplier ran completely out of whey,
00:37which is in all 30 of their high protein baking mixes.
00:40They found a new supplier, but it cost 50% more
00:43and was processed differently enough to ruin their recipes,
00:46leaving their pancakes coming out like sawdust.
00:48And you may be asking, why not just make more?
00:51Well, if only it were that simple.
00:53You see, whey protein is a byproduct of cheese making.
00:56It's the leftover liquid from making cheese
00:59dried into a powder.
01:00So more whey requires more cheese
01:02and cheese demand isn't going up
01:04just because these snack brands need the leftovers.
01:06The entire protein everything industrial complex
01:09was quietly running on the dairy industry's waste stream.
01:12Now prices on shelves are roughly flat for right now,
01:15but ingredient increases typically take 12 to 18 months
01:18to hit retail and that window is starting to close.
01:21Supply chain analysts say brands that built their identity on whey,
01:24without locking in supply, put a target on their own backs.
01:27Industry insiders say the alternatives are being tested
01:30and demand isn't going anywhere.
01:31This is just the market correcting itself.
01:33So did big food create a protein addiction
01:36it can no longer feed or is this just a supply crunch
01:38that the market will work out?
01:40Drop your take in the comments and follow us here for more.
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