Whey Protein Price Surge: What’s Happening & What to Expect

Over the past few months, you may have noticed something happening across the supplement world: whey protein pricing has begun to climb.

Not “a little more expensive.” Not “seasonal fluctuation.” We’re talking about a sharp, industry-wide spike in raw whey costs that’s now rippling through every level of the market — from ingredient suppliers to finished retail tubs.

You'll notice brand who priced 2 pound containers at $35-$40 are now inching towards $55-$60 for the same tub. We want to give you the full picture of what’s happening, why it’s happening, what you should expect over the next 6–12 months, and what it may mean for our protein lineup.

Raw whey costs are up — significantly

In recent months, the raw cost of whey (especially whey isolate) has increased by 30%+ in a relatively short time. That matters because whey is not just “another ingredient” — it’s a dairy-based commodity that many companies rely on as the backbone of their protein products.

When raw inputs rise this aggressively, it puts pressure on the entire chain: manufacturing cost rises, wholesale pricing rises, and eventually retail pricing rises too.

Why this is happening

This isn’t one single issue. It’s several forces hitting the market at the same time:

1) Supply and demand imbalance
Whey supply is tied to dairy production. Demand for whey continues to grow, not only in sports nutrition but also in functional foods, beverages, and health products. When demand stays high while supply tightens (even slightly), pricing can move fast.

2) New demand from the GLP-1 weight-loss wave
Another factor that’s accelerating demand is the rapid growth of GLP-1 medications (often prescribed for weight loss). Doctors and nutrition professionals are increasingly emphasizing high daily protein intake for patients using these medications to help preserve lean muscle mass during weight loss. As a result, protein supplements—including whey isolate—are seeing increased demand from an entirely new consumer segment.

3) Limited capacity for whey isolate
Whey isolate requires additional processing compared to standard whey. Even when there’s enough overall dairy production, isolate capacity can become a bottleneck. When that happens, isolates are typically the first products to see the biggest pricing spikes.

4) Higher operating costs industry-wide
On top of ingredient costs, manufacturing is affected by rising operational expenses: labor, energy, packaging, and logistics. When raw costs rise at the same time as production costs, pricing pressure becomes unavoidable.

What to expect over the next 6–12 months

This is the part people really want to know: “What happens next?”
Across the industry, you’ll likely see some combination of the following:

• Higher retail pricing on whey and whey isolate products
• Fewer discounts, promotions, and “sale pricing”
• Reformulations (brands switching from 100% isolate to blended formulas)
• Smaller container sizes at similar price points
• Periodic out-of-stocks or limited availability on certain products

This is not going to happen in 6-12 months, its already happening. Prices for 1lb containers of whey isolate are being seen retailed at $35.99+. Two pound containers are being seen at $59.99+. What about online? Amazon prices aren't too bad. The reality is that retail pricing often lags behind ingredient costs — meaning a lot of what you’re seeing online right now may not reflect the true replacement cost yet. As companies restock and rebuild inventory at higher raw costs, the consumer market will continue adjusting.

What this means for us

We’ve always taken pride in offering products that are high quality and fairly priced — the kind of products we feel good putting in our own customers’ hands.

But when whey pricing becomes this unstable, it forces every company into the same decision:

• raise pricing dramatically, or 
• temporarily pause production until the market stabilizes

Because of the current record pricing environment, we — like many companies — may need to pivot away from whey protein temporarily until raw ingredient pricing returns to a more reasonable level.

That doesn’t mean we’re stepping away from protein. It means we’re staying responsible while the market is distorted.

Protein alternatives are here — and they’re legitimate

Even if whey stays volatile, protein isn’t going anywhere. There are excellent alternatives, especially when formulated correctly.

We will continue offering V-Pro, our plant-based protein option. It’s designed to be a real daily-use protein — not a “backup” product — and it includes a complete amino profile with all essential amino acids (EAAs) to support recovery, performance, and muscle maintenance.

For many people, plant-based protein also has an added benefit: it’s often easier to digest than dairy-based products.

Our commitment

We’ll keep being transparent. We’ll keep monitoring the market. And we’ll make adjustments that prioritize quality, fair pricing, and what’s best for customers long-term.

If whey pricing stabilizes, we’ll revisit production immediately. In the meantime we will continue to produce other sports and wellness products like pre-workout, BCAA, greens, omega 3's, collagen and more.

Thank you for your support,
Michael Volpe
SBV Supplements