Bodybuilders and gym-goers are facing significantly higher costs as the price of whey protein has surged 130% in the last year, according to food price tracking body Expana. The increase is being passed on to consumers, with some supplement companies raising their prices by more than 40% in a single year.
The price spike is driven by a surge in demand for protein powder in the UK, where Britons are increasingly seeking cheap and easy ways to maintain muscle-friendly diets. Supermarkets and food companies have expanded their ranges of protein-boosted products—from yoghurts to biscuits to drinks—pushing up the cost of the whey that goes into them.
Supply struggles to keep up with demand
Factories cannot quickly ramp up production of the high-protein whey these companies need, as producing it requires specialist equipment. As a result, supply has struggled to keep pace with demand.
Individual products have seen even steeper increases than the 130% average, according to Expana's latest figures. Sandro Schulz, a protein market analyst at Expana, told DairyReporter: “Production is increasing, but capacity additions take time to come online, so supply growth is lagging demand growth.”
Companies raise prices to stay profitable
Jasper Endlich, an analyst at dairy market data firm Vesper, told the Guardian: “People want more than there physically is available. Manufacturers would like to produce more and build safety stocks, but they haven’t been able to do that.”
Kieran Fisher, founder of protein supplement company Warrior, told the BBC that his company had raised the price of its products from £12.50 to £17.99 in a year, while other companies' products have nearly tripled in the last five years. Fisher admitted that his company was looking for other sources of protein to offset the rising cost of whey, but for now price increases were the only solution to staying profitable.
He told the BBC: "Our whey protein powder was £12.50 on the shelf last year. We've put that up to £17.99 and we're still subsidising that from other aspects of the business."
Protein mania among young Brits
The UK is, according to the data, in something of a protein mania, with the obsession clearest amongst young people. A recent YouGov survey found that 37% of 20-35 year-olds consume protein shakes regularly, while the popularity of all protein products has increased just over 9%, according to consumer trend experts.
