00:00Has your whey protein quietly gotten more expensive?
00:03This tub of chocolate whey now costs Rs 4,100.
00:06Four months ago it was Rs 3,500, eight months ago, Rs 3,200.
00:11This packet of light cocoa whey, Rs 4,500 today, six months ago it was Rs 3,200.
00:17We went from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 but does that cover for the cost increase?
00:22Not even close.
00:23So what's actually going on?
00:25The answer begins thousands of kilometers away with an unlikely culprit.
00:29Weight loss drugs.
00:30A Zempik, Vagovie, Munjaro, these drugs are changing how millions of people eat, suppressing
00:35appetite and helping users shed weight.
00:38But doctors have noticed a side effect.
00:40Along with fat, many users are losing muscle too.
00:43That's where protein comes in.
00:45Doctors are now telling patients on these drugs to eat more protein to protect their muscle
00:49mass.
00:50And whey supplements are one of the easiest ways to do it.
00:53Almost overnight, an entirely new category of buyers walked into the protein market.
00:58And that's only half the story.
01:00Protein has stopped being a bodybuilder's obsession and become a mainstream craze.
01:04It's showing up in ice creams, yogurts, cereals, coffee, snacks, even desserts.
01:09Supermarket shelves now overflow with products promising high protein benefits.
01:13The world's appetite for protein has exploded.
01:15The supply of whey, however, hasn't kept pace.
01:18Because whey isn't made from scratch.
01:20It's a by-product of cheese making.
01:22The amount of whey available depends on how much cheese the world produces.
01:26And that supply can't be expanded overnight.
01:29Most Indian supplement brands import whey or price their ingredients off global markets.
01:33As those prices surge, the effects are finally reaching consumers.
01:38When we started two years ago, we bought our first lot of whey concentrate for about 700 rupees a kg.
01:44The latest quote that we've got from suppliers is 2300 rupees a kg.
01:49That's tripling in two years.
01:53Brands across the industry are now warning customers prices may rise further.
01:57So next time you pick up a tub of whey and wince at the price, remember,
02:01part of the answer is a world that suddenly can't stop talking about protein.
02:05And part of it is a weight loss drug revolution quietly reshaping the food industry
02:09in ways almost nobody saw coming.
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