What is Non-Animal Whey Protein?
Answer + FAQ
This article addresses the most frequently asked questions about non-animal whey protein.
Real quick:
Non-animal whey protein is commonly called vegan whey protein or animal-free whey protein.
As a result:
We’ll use all three terms in this FAQ interchangeably.
Let’s begin.
Last updated: Sep. 16, 2023. See our disclaimer.
Table of Contents
The Basics
What is non-animal whey protein?
Non-animal whey protein is a very specific type of protein known as beta-lactoglobulin (BLG). The BLG in non-animal whey protein is chemically similar to the BLG found in traditional dairy products, like cow’s milk or normal whey protein powder.
Non-animal whey protein is produced via precision fermentation.
Precision fermentation is a process whereby microbes (such as yeast) are genetically programmed to “brew” specific ingredients, like BLG.
That means, thanks to modern technology, some whey proteins no longer come directly from animals like cows.
Non-animal whey protein is incorporated into dairy substitutes like animal-free milk, cheese, ice cream, and vegan whey protein powders.
Details and references:
How is Vegan Whey Protein Made? 3 Ways
Is Vegan Whey Protein Safe? What FDA Documents Reveal
What is vegan whey protein made of?
Up to 99.9% of purified vegan whey protein is composed of a specific type of whey protein called beta-lactoglobulin. A small amount of fungal proteins (from the fungi that make the vegan whey) might be left over in the protein powder.
The rest of the vegan whey contains things like fat (<1.0%–4%), carbs (<2%–20%), and moisture (<6%–7%).
Purified vegan whey protein is often mixed with other ingredients to create products like animal-free milk and ice cream.
In these cases, vegan whey protein is often listed as “non-animal whey protein” on the ingredient label.
Vegan whey protein contains all 9 essential amino acids.
Details and references:
How is Vegan Whey Protein Made? 3 Ways
Is Vegan Whey Protein Safe? What FDA Documents Reveal
Vegan Whey vs. Normal Whey: Nutrition & Safety
Ingredient details:
The Best Vegan Whey Protein Powders
How is animal-free whey made?
Animal-free whey protein is made via precision fermentation. During this process, microbes (often fungi) are genetically modified with a very small segment of cattle DNA. The DNA encodes a specific whey protein. The fungi are then “fed” simple sugars and, in turn, ferment (“brew”) the whey protein.
The fungi and whey proteins are then separated from one another through multiple filtration and purification steps in order to produce animal-free whey protein powder. It is then dried and stored.
The powder is later incorporated into vegan whey protein powders and animal-free dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice-cream.
Details and references:
How is Vegan Whey Protein Made? 3 Ways
What’s the difference between vegan and non-vegan whey protein?
The major difference between vegan and non-vegan whey protein is that traditional (dairy-based) whey protein contains a far larger variety of proteins than vegan whey protein. Vegan whey protein contains only one type of whey protein, called BLG.
Nevertheless, both vegan and non-vegan whey protein contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Details and references:
Vegan Whey vs. Normal Whey: Nutrition & Safety
Nutrition, Health, & Safety
Is vegan whey better than normal whey?
Both vegan whey and normal whey contain all 9 essential amino acids. Vegan whey contains fewer calories and fats per gram of protein while normal whey contains less sodium. Unlike normal whey, vegan whey doesn’t have lactose while both types of whey contain milk allergens.
Vegan whey is as good as normal whey when it comes to the wide variety of essential and nonessential amino acids each provides.
Details and references:
Vegan Whey vs. Normal Whey: Nutrition & Safety
Is non-animal whey protein dairy, or dairy free?
Non-animal whey protein contains a protein, called beta-lactoglobulin, which is found in dairy-based whey protein powders. However, non-animal whey protein doesn’t contain the same exact substances that are found in dairy and so it isn’t a complete dairy product.
Although non-animal whey protein isn’t a complete dairy product (for example it doesn’t have lactose), it can trigger an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to milk proteins found in traditional dairy.
Therefore, animal-free protein is neither a complete dairy product nor entirely dairy free either.
Details and references:
Is Vegan Whey Protein Safe? What FDA Documents Reveal
Vegan Whey vs. Normal Whey: Nutrition & Safety
Will non-animal whey protein trigger a milk protein allergy?
Non-animal whey will most likely trigger a milk protein allergy in people who are allergic to milk proteins. This is because non-animal whey contains a common milk allergen, called beta-lactoglobulin, which is chemically similar to the same allergen found in traditional dairy products.
Details and references:
Is Vegan Whey Protein Safe? What FDA Documents Reveal
Ethics
Is animal-free whey vegan?
Animal-free whey may or may not be vegan depending on your personal beliefs. PETA and vegan organizations seem to think that non-animal whey protein isn’t vegan. Surveys show that vegans aren’t keen to try animal-free dairy products like cheese either.
In the end, whether non-animal whey protein is vegan or not will depend strongly on your definition of “vegan” and “veganism”.
Details and references:
Is Animal Free Whey Vegan? What PETA & Surveys Say
Vegan survey results:
119 Precision Fermentation Statistics
Decide for yourself:
How is Vegan Whey Protein Made? 3 Ways
Cost & Products
Is vegan whey cheaper?
No. Generally speaking, vegan whey protein tends to cost more (per gram of protein) than traditional dairy-based whey protein powders. Our research shows that vegan whey costs $0.12 per gram of protein while normal whey costs $0.07 per gram of protein.
Details and references:
Vegan Whey vs. Normal Whey: Nutrition & Safety
What’s the best vegan whey protein powder?
Vegan whey protein is a new type of product. Because of that, there aren’t many companies that sell animal-free whey protein. As a result, it’s hard to be sure which one is truly better than the others.
You can easily decide for yourself.
We go over all of the available non-animal whey protein powders in detail in this article: