The Whey Protein Market Crisis: What You Need to Know

J Birrell

Founder of Xplosiv

Published: January 14, 2025 • 2 min read

In my 13 years in the supplement industry, I’ve never seen the whey protein market face challenges like this. Prices for whey protein concentrate (WPC) and isolate (WPI) have skyrocketed over the past 18 months, creating unprecedented difficulties for both suppliers and consumers.

What’s Happening?

Record Price Increases: Compared to 18 months ago, WPC prices are up more than 90%, while WPI has increased nearly 110%. To put this into perspective, WPC is now around $8 per kilo more expensive than what we were paying for WPI just a year and a half ago.
Supply Chain Struggles: Sourcing WPC has become increasingly difficult, while WPI is nearly impossible to obtain.
Market Impact: Mainstream brands are estimated to raise RRPs by $30 or more on 5lb tubs in Q1 2025, and premium products are becoming harder to access without paying steep premiums.

What We’re Doing at Xplosiv

At Xplosiv, we’ve been preparing for this for over a year. While these challenges are significant, we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure you’re protected:

Secured Supply: We’ve worked hard to secure enough whey protein to meet demand, ensuring we can keep our whey options under $100 even as other brands raise prices.
Stable Pricing: We’re holding our isolate pricing steady for as long as possible. Once current stock runs out, replenishment will be difficult—but one thing I can promise is that I’d rather leave it out of stock than charge $240 for a protein isolate.
Competitive Value: Our premium products remain priced $50 or more below other brands’ updated RRPs, offering you the best value without compromising on quality.

What’s Next?

I want to be clear: this article isn’t here to make anyone panic buy—that’s not the intention. My goal is to share insight into what’s happening so you can make informed decisions.

We do have our options available at the moment, and you can explore them below: