Where does my whey come from?

History of Whey protein

"Whey" is a natural liquid by-product created in the making of cheese which was discarded by the dairy industry until 1975. When research by the University of Illinois pioneered the processing of whey as a product for it's nutritional qualities. These early whey compounds were treated with lots of heat, and were high in fat and lactose, making them undesirable to most. Micro-filtration was developed in the 1990s, leading to significant advancements into the processing of whey. It was not until this time that whey protein started to be regarded as a valuable high protein source as technological advancements made the product far more pure. Whey protein can be produced as a by-product of the cheese making process, or be a "native" whey protein. The more common cheese whey protein, is filtered from the leftover whey after cheese curds have coagulated. On the other hand, Native whey protein isolate is made directly from fresh "skimmed milk" allowing it to bypass the acidification process of cheese making. This results in a less acidic and more bio-available protein. Both proteins can be filtered further to become Concentrates (80% protein) or Isolates (up to 95% protein) through ultra and micro filtration processes.

Native whey protein

Bare Blends Native whey protein isolate is made in France from the highest quality fresh skimmed milk through the use of micro-filtration and ultra filtration. This unique process gives Bare Blends Native whey protein isolate exceptional nutritional properties. As the milk used is less heat and acid treated, our native whey has an excellent amino acid profile. In particular it is rich in the essential amino acid leucine, which has been clinically shown to be the most successful amino acid in muscle synthesis¹, and cysteine, responsible for the production of the 'master' antioxidant, glutathione.

Whey protein concentrate

Our New Zealand Whey Protein Concentrate comes from the lush, pollution and chemical free grazing grounds of the South Island. The use of hormones is illegal on this dairy herd, and as a result antibiotic use to treat mastitis is far less common. It is made from fresh cheese whey via micro-filtration, and is considered to be the highest quality concentrate in the world. Whey protein concentrate is contains important micro-peptides such as betalactoalbumins, alpha-lactalbumins, lactoferrin, and immunoglobulins, all of which possess extraordinary immune system-boosting properties².

Other Whey proteins

Another big producer of whey protein is the united states. There are numerous companies in the USA that produce both concentrates and isolates. Bare Blends has chosen not to stock USA WPI or WPC due to the American dairy laws concerning rBGH and GMOs. Inferior whey proteins are also made in China through heat processes resulting in a very cheap impure product. In 2008, 300,000 infants in china were severely injured due to a chemical called melamine being added to infant milk powder formula to make it appear to have a greater protein content. Would you trust Chinese milk powders after they resulted in 6 infant deaths and over 50,000 hospitalizations?

References

1. Matthew Stark, Judith Lukaszuk, Aimee Prawitz and Amanda Salacinski, Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012 2. Walzem R, Health enhancing properties of whey protein and whey fractions, Applications Monograph, Nutrition and Beverage, US Dairy Export Council