Why Have Protein Powder Prices Risen Insanely?

tigs6969 on 26/04/2025 - 16:46
Last edited 26/04/2025 - 18:31 by 2 other users

Honestly they have skyrocketed. It's insane. Even Amino Z have gone up. Bulk Nutrients are high too.

Any sneaky specials out there for WPI for like 40 bucks?

If not then I guess no more protein powder for me.

To add to this: I buy ceremonial cacao every so often. There is a notorious cacao shortage. The cacao place I usually buy from only upped their prices by 5 bucks. Only (profanity) 5 bucks. How the (profanity) can a cacao place only raise their prices 5 bucks even with a cacao shortage and Cadbury is 5000 dollars a block now but Protein Powder is price gouged to high hell ?

Food & Grocery Bodybuilding Supplement Protein Powder

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/04/2025 - 17:11
    +16

    The official email communication from @AminoZ is

    TL:DR; is that protein prices have almost doubled recently with global supply shortages, inflation, supply chain disruptions and the falling Aussie dollar.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/04/2025 - 17:12
      +1

      @AminoZ

      • tigs6969 on 26/04/2025 - 17:14
        +1

        Thanks Asian Jim! No more WPI it seems. I'll just hit the Pepitas and Sunflower seeds more I guess.

        • ATTS on 28/04/2025 - 08:36

          Curious how often do u drink protein powders?

        • ATTS on 28/04/2025 - 08:36

          Do people still drink raw eggs for protein?

          • meong on 28/04/2025 - 08:46
            +8

            @ATTS: can you even buy eggs these days?

            • Gdsamp on 28/04/2025 - 09:38
              +11

              @meong: It's a carton of eggs, Michael, what could it cost? $4.20?

              • meong on 28/04/2025 - 12:16
                +3

                @Gdsamp: I think $10 would be the correct price these days!!!

        • squaredonut on 28/04/2025 - 13:50

          Going to be painful when going to the toilet. I once got into a habbit of eating a lot of sunflower seeds, never again, was very painful for many days.

      • aminozcomau on 02/05/2025 - 01:43
        +15

        Thought I'd jump in here to share some background on WPI pricing (thanks for pinging me @Jimothy Wongingtons).

        Yep, WPI pricing is currently insane, I totally agree. As compared to 12 months ago, pricing has practically doubled for the raw materials.

        The primary reason is demand has increased significantly whereas production/supply has not increased proportionally. Supply/demand.

        In our email communication, we mentioned a few other factors. These are no where near as prominent, but worth mentioning:

        • Inflation (in general) has played a smaller role, but has been a consideration.
        • The Aussie dollar has (in the more immediate term) been lower since December last year. Most WPI is imported from EU/US the weaker dollar has impacted pricing.
        • US Tariffs. The longer-term impact is still anyone's guess. In the immediate term, it's more around uncertainty and the impact this has had on the markets. Our dollar remains relatively weak as compared to the long-term, despite bouncing around recently. China is now pulling more protein from EU (which drives up EU pricing considerably). US domestic demand is very increasingly high for US protein to avoid tariffs.

        Manufacturers of WPI generally will also have the capacity to produce WPC. But given that WPI requires some additional equipment with a relatively minor investment, and that WPI has increased substantially relative to WPC pricing (ie. higher profits), many producers are reducing their production of WPC to produce more WPI. Yet, at least for now, demand is still not being met globally.

        WPC has increased in price, but WPI has increased notably more. Historically WPI is generally 50% more than WPC. It's now trading at around 100% more, give or take.

        So this is why WPI based products are so incredibly expensive relative to what they were last year.

        For this reason also, we have not been able to do any promotions on our WPI and we have been forced to raise our prices. Others have done similarly too as noted in this discussion. It's not only an increase in raw material pricing, but also a real lack of supply. Frankly we do not even have the quantity available to do any form of discounting on our WPI.

        I cannot comment on what's going to happen later this year, it's really anyone's guess and no one has a crystal ball. Some predict whey protein pricing may go higher, others predict that it may fall as current prices are unsustainable. At this stage it's like tossing a coin. But for transparency, I would not rule out further price increases at this stage.

        We are receiving daily enquiries about when our next promotion is, so perhaps I can share some insight. What we are doing is working on a new product which will come in at a lower price point. WPI is very quickly moving into the "premium" price end of protein powders. We are developing a new formulation that is not so heavily reliant on WPI that we can sell at a lower price point. This will likely be the focus of our next promotion here on OzBargain (but as of yet, we have no firm ETA as we are still developing the product).

        I hope this provides a bit of background.

        Jay

        • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/05/2025 - 06:42
          +1

          Thanks Jay

          Very informative . Seems reasonable to me.

        • nomoneynoproblems on 02/05/2025 - 16:30

          We have a big dairy industry in Australia, excuse my ignorance but why cant we source locally?

          • aminozcomau on 02/05/2025 - 23:08
            +1

            @nomoneynoproblems: A very small amount of WPI is produced in Australia, much more in NZ.

            But even so, the under supply isnt restricted to certain regions, the price has increased globally.

            In fact, Australian and NZ protein is generally more expensive than US.

            Jay

        • smartialarts on 08/05/2025 - 13:34

          Apologies for a change of topic, but while we have you here - It seems like there is no recent lab tests for the Marine Collagen - any particular reason for that?

          https://www.aminoz.com.au/amino-z-marine-collagen.html

          Thanks

          • aminozcomau on 09/05/2025 - 00:13

            @smartialarts: I just checked and that still is the latest set of results we have for current product. The date on the website shows the date of the test itself. But I can see it was last received into our warehouse this year. So we're still receiving the same batch from our supplier, as we upload a new certificate with each delivery we receive.

            I hope this clarifies. Thanks for asking!

            Jay

            • smartialarts on 09/05/2025 - 10:54

              @aminozcomau: Thanks for a quick response.

              I honestly have no idea about the food/supplements manufacturing, but are you saying that you are buying a 2 year old batch (last test done in 2023, assuming that's when it was made, give or take)?

              Quick google search seems to suggest that shelf life is 3-5 years, so I assume it's fine, tho still curious what's your take on this.

              Thanks

              • aminozcomau on 09/05/2025 - 21:10

                @smartialarts: It will be ingredient dependent, but also based on storage conditions. But yes generally collagen will have a long shelf life at ambient temperature.

                As part of our standard processes, we undertake testing as we produce batches to confirm conformance of the ingredient. This is done for all ingredients and with every batch produced.

                Jay

    • hazzad on 27/04/2025 - 10:02

      The Aussie dollar fall was a blip on the map. Surely they would not have factored in any price change based on that ? The only realistic excuse they may have is shortage but again where's the proof? Probably just a popularity price rise under the guise of a bunch of other crap.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 27/04/2025 - 10:05
        +7

        The email communication from aminoz did also reference tariffs as well now that I re-read it. But yeah I guess this must be some giant conspiracy by Big Protein, Big Cacao, and Big Global Economy.

        I thought we might see a reply now from Jay at Aminoz seeing there was/is a huge following from ozbargain members.

    • Sinnerator on 01/05/2025 - 12:37
      -1

      Greed based Inflation is what it is, why? because they can, why? because there are enough idiots paying stupid high prices

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 26/04/2025 - 17:54
    -1

    Tariffs?

    • TilacVIP on 27/04/2025 - 09:18
      +4

      they were extremely expensive way before this tariffs BS came to light

    • tenpercent on 28/04/2025 - 12:18
      +7

      No. We are not US consumers importing protein powder from Chyna.

      • stuckster on 28/04/2025 - 16:59
        +2

        Many AU supplement companies buy their raw materials from the US. So perhaps the US suppliers are passing on the increased costs of obtaining the materials (unless they are actually produced in the US).

  • nswnotill on 26/04/2025 - 18:27
    -1

    Aim for more pulse grain in your diet (chickpeas, lentil, faba bean, field pea) They all have plenty of protein and fibre as well.

    • FareEvader on 26/04/2025 - 19:09
      +14

      Meat protein >

    • tenpercent on 27/04/2025 - 09:39

      You might want to check the digestibilty of the protein.

    • duchy on 28/04/2025 - 13:34
      -1

      Do you know how many beans I'd need to eat to consume 150g of protein a day?

      I really can't wat 2kgs of beans a day, sorry.

      • Dsiee on 28/04/2025 - 17:32
        +3

        If you eat nothing but roasted chickpeas (quite a yummy snack) it would be 250-350g.

      • sam buster on 30/04/2025 - 20:14

        600g of red lentils. Even less if you drink milk powder.

    • topherboi on 01/05/2025 - 08:42

      Lay off the cacao

      Lay off the pipe.

      • Protractor on 01/05/2025 - 11:16
        -1

        Lay off the sOsHul MeEjA

  • NocteRegem on 26/04/2025 - 20:39
    +17

    Some alternatives ranked courtesy of our AI friend:

    Rank Food Item Price per kg Protein per 100g Energy per 100g (kJ) Energy per 90g Protein Cost per gram of Protein Notes
    1 Woolworths Black Beans (Canned) $1.00 9.4g 441 kJ 4222 $0.01 Plant-based protein; good in various cuisines
    2 Katoomba Red Lentils $3.00 24.5g 1272 kJ 4673 $0.01 Quick-cooking; versatile in dishes
    3 Woolworths Red Kidney Beans (Canned) $1.00 8.4g 466 kJ 4993 $0.01 Ready-to-eat; great in salads and stews
    4 Katoomba Chana Dal $2.80 22g 1464 kJ 5989 $0.01 High in protein and fiber; requires cooking
    5 Woolworths Skim Milk Powder $6.00 36g 1460 kJ 3650 $0.02 Long shelf-life; mix with water
    6 Woolworths Tofu (Firm) $3.00 14.8g 541 kJ 3290 $0.02 Plant-based; absorbs flavors well
    7 Woolworths Roasted Peanuts (Salted) $6.00 26.5g 2134 kJ 7248 $0.02 High in calories; good for snacking
    8 Woolworths Chicken Drumsticks $4.50 17.6g 645 kJ 3298 $0.03 Economical meat option; bake or grill
    9 Coles Whole Chicken (RSPCA Approved) $6.00 23.1g 685 kJ 2669 $0.03 Whole bird; multiple meal uses
    10 Woolworths Eggs (Dozen) $4.50 13g 533 kJ 3690 $0.04 Versatile; complete protein source
    11 Woolworths Pork Leg Roast (Boneless) $8.00 22g 686 kJ 2806 $0.04 Roast option; lean protein
    12 Coles Simply Tuna in Springwater (95g) $1.00 25.3g 464 kJ 1651 $0.04 Convenient; high-quality protein
    13 Mayfair Knob Devon $5.00 11.4g 874 kJ 6900 $0.04 Processed meat; check sodium content
    14 Amino Z Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) $50.00 90g 1530 kJ 1530 $0.06 High purity; quick absorption; ideal for post-workout supplementation
    15 Woolworths Beef Mince (Regular) $10.00 15.9g 953 kJ 5394 $0.06 Commonly used; various fat contents available
    16 Woolworths Greek Yogurt (Plain, 1kg tub) $5.00 5g 489 kJ 8802 $0.10 Probiotic benefits; snack or meal addition

    • RotundPolarBear on 26/04/2025 - 23:04

      What bot did you use for this? Does it have all the Australian info or did you provide it?

      • Dsiee on 28/04/2025 - 17:32
        +5

        Probably just hallucinations

        • Droz on 30/04/2025 - 16:38

          A can of blackbeans is ~400g normally… cheapest brand will cost a dollar for that amount!

    • Grunntt on 27/04/2025 - 08:36
      +3

      1 beans
      5 milk
      7 peanuts
      11 pork
      13 ???

      • Assburg on 28/04/2025 - 16:46
        +3

        This is my favourite recipe

    • tenpercent on 27/04/2025 - 09:37

      You might want to adjust for digestibility of the protein.

    • cfuse on 27/04/2025 - 13:01
      +11

      There's a lot of fart on that list.

      • Snoozer on 27/04/2025 - 19:09

        Yeah exactly my thoughts. My poor guts can't tolerate a lot of that stuff.

        • filmer on 29/04/2025 - 09:26

          You do have to slowly build into a lot of foods

    • ps3_andy on 27/04/2025 - 23:12
      +4

      Take these prices and protein numbers with a grain of salt, woolies canned black beans are certainly not $1/kg, they are $1 a can though (420g)

    • samfisher5986 on 28/04/2025 - 10:44
      +6

      Just FYI, most people buying protein are doing it for low carbohydrates and something easy to consume.

      The majority of your ChatGPT list wouldn't work.

    • Nuclearvodka on 28/04/2025 - 17:52
      +2

      I like Kangaroo mince at $11/kg usually at Coles.

      Add some mexican spices, and you've got some lean nachos/burritos/chili con carne etc.

    • cartonofbeer on 01/05/2025 - 14:31

      Just checked the nutritional information of skim milk powder on the Woolies and Coles website. It's 3.5g of protein per 100g, not 36g per 100g…
      DYOR before grabbing anything from this list.

  • theHMASfriendship on 26/04/2025 - 20:42
    +11

    Inflation has hit gains Albo has gone too far this time

    • Charity on 27/04/2025 - 10:44
      -6

      Many aussies think Albo is the messiah lol

      • cfuse on 27/04/2025 - 13:00
        -3

        90% of voters are morons, but in their defence 100% of those on the ballot don't deserve a vote.

      • ColtNoir on 28/04/2025 - 15:59
        -1

        It’s been the battle of the dregs for years. Who’s the least dreggy of the dregs.

      • Nuclearvodka on 28/04/2025 - 17:53
        +4

        He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy.

        Still better than the spud though

      • andyfc on 28/04/2025 - 19:34
        +5

        Uhh…that comment appears to be facetious because it's obvious to anyone with a brain that Albo didn't have anything to do with global inflation…..

        • duluxe2000 on 29/04/2025 - 00:44
          -1

          Australian household inflation-adjusted real disposable income felt 8% (Mar-2024) compared to Mar-2022 : this is the worst among 20 OECD economies.

          • Nuclearvodka on 29/04/2025 - 17:39
            +4

            @duluxe2000: Yep, real incomes fell 8% — after the LNP spent 9 years smashing wage growth and loading households with record debt.
            Labor walked into a mess, still delivered a surplus, halved inflation, and now Australia has the 2nd strongest economy in the G20.

            • duluxe2000 on 30/04/2025 - 01:25
              -2

              @Nuclearvodka: Spewing credits for Labor delivering surplus is abit of BS and I feel like Im obligated to say it : it's because of recorded commodity price and recorded income tax (coming from recorded number of immigration). The recorded income tax explains the fell in disposable income.

              Last 3 years are the worst personally. Do people really think they are better off 3 years ago ?

              • Nuclearvodka on 30/04/2025 - 16:52
                +5

                @duluxe2000: Mate, the Coalition were in power for nearly a decade and left behind wage stagnation, record debt, housing chaos, and a cooked energy market.
                Three years isn’t magic — it’s barely enough time to stop the bleeding.
                Labor didn’t get a blank slate — they got a bin fire. And it’s slowly being put out.
                Do you really think we were better off under Morrison?

              • Nuclearvodka on 30/04/2025 - 16:54
                +1

                @duluxe2000: Morrison — the guy who vanished during the bushfires, secretly took over five ministries, oversaw Robodebt, botched the vaccine rollout, and blew millions on rorts and fake car parks.

                Dutton — the guy who tried to deport Indigenous Australians, gave $532 million to Paladin (a shady company registered to a beach shack with no security experience), and whose big idea is blocking everything Labor proposes.

                You seriously think either of them would’ve done better?

    • Dsiee on 28/04/2025 - 17:34
      +2

      This wasn't a political decision. Even the inflation pre-dates this government. Why get political over protein powder of all things?

      • theHMASfriendship on 28/04/2025 - 18:15

        Just here for the bargains

      • SpainKing on 29/04/2025 - 06:38

        Feels more like a tongue-in-cheek comment than an attempt to get political. Big fan of Albo but I still +ed the comment because it gave me a chuckle

      • borrisz0r on 30/04/2025 - 12:04

        Because some people are either trolling, or they have an agenda they need squeeze into every scenario

    • hyperfuzz on 30/04/2025 - 07:47

      meanwhile Dutton thinks a dozen eggs cost $4.20.

  • stuckster on 26/04/2025 - 20:43
    +2

    Drop back to WPC or try some Micellar Casein. Both can be bought for <$40/kg.

    Interestingly WPI still represents good value when comparing $/g of protein, especially when adjusted for quality.

    • mearkat7 on 29/04/2025 - 10:23
      +1

      I've found even WPC has risen significantly. My last order on bulk nutrients was around $33/kg and the new price is $42/kg.

  • JIMB0 on 26/04/2025 - 21:40
    +1

    That's some good gains.

  • Ozbar Gain on 27/04/2025 - 07:25
    -1

    Try Bulk Nutrients soy Isolate. It's cheaper than WPI.

    I know whey is better than soy but soy is still a complete protein and my man boobs haven't grown yet

    • backpaqer on 27/04/2025 - 09:27
      +2

      A mate works in the bulk food industry and he says soy powder is essentially all it is and the "industry" is buying it super cheap and making an absolute killing on it. It costs $2 a kilo at the docks. The prices have not doubled, we get most of it from China. The "doubling" in prices is probably the owners of the protein peddlers needing to buy another Lamborghini to keep up with their mates.

      • Ozbar Gain on 27/04/2025 - 15:52
        +3

        Your mate is ill informed. The protein content is much higher in soy Isolate than soy powder

        • tenpercent on 28/04/2025 - 12:21

          How do you know they're not cutting the isolate with basic soy powder?
          It happens with olive oil (gets cut with small amounts of cheaper seed oils).
          No one is policing it.

          • Ozbar Gain on 28/04/2025 - 13:07
            +5

            @tenpercent: If you don't trust the nutritional info on the packaging, why buy any products then??

            • Dsiee on 28/04/2025 - 17:35
              +2

              @Ozbar Gain: Just buy cement, the bag is lying as they actually fill it with blueberry flavoured whey mix.

              • serpserpserp on 29/04/2025 - 22:08

                @Dsiee: Cement actually tastes better than some protein shakes and clogs less.

    • tigs6969 on 27/04/2025 - 10:52

      Never thought about soy or vegan. From what I gather, vegan blend is better with the acids etc and Myprotein has the vegan protein on special for a reasonable price.
      Cheers

      • buckster on 27/04/2025 - 21:24
        +2

        Vegan tastes fairly nasty though

        • serpserpserp on 29/04/2025 - 22:06

          Stop drinking your ice cream thick shake masquerading as a whey protein shake and drink your pea protein powder with water like a real man.

          • buckster on 29/04/2025 - 22:08

            @serpserpserp: Hah, I've even ordered egg protein from BN to get around a ridiculous lactose sensitivity.

            Pea protein in water is so much nicer than egg protein water shakes lol

            • serpserpserp on 29/04/2025 - 22:10
              +1

              @buckster: Egg protein shakes idea makes me want to vomit. I'd rather just crack raw eggs into my mouth and swallow.

      • zfind on 28/04/2025 - 15:22

        Bulk Nutrient’s pea protein in chocolate flavour is really good - has a slightly grainy / thicker / floury texture but easily drinkable and eliminates a dairy source from your diet if that’s your thing (is for me).

  • BobsYourAunty on 27/04/2025 - 11:09
    +9

    Can’t put a price on gainz.

    • cfuse on 27/04/2025 - 13:01

      Tell that to my dealer.

  • MeatyOne on 27/04/2025 - 16:51
    +1

    Just wait for the Woolworths/Coles half price specials. Every 4-6 weeks they have half price on the bulk of their fitness supplements and you can get good prices on the BSc range and Muscle Nation range. That's when I tend to stock up.

    • highon2str on 27/04/2025 - 18:25

      when was the last one or next sale you reckon? Running low on supplies…

      • MeatyOne on 27/04/2025 - 19:39

        I reckon Woolworths may be this week, or next. Coles is possibly 2 weeks off.

  • dasher86 on 27/04/2025 - 22:23

    It's most likely to do with fluctuations in the global dairy trade index. Butter is the highest it's been in the past five years. Dairy manufacturers in this situation will most likely switch to butter production over cheese (whey powder is a bi product of cheese making).

  • Stevecro on 28/04/2025 - 06:58
    +4

    You don't need protein powder, its too expensive these days. Chicken, lean beef mince, turkey mince, eggs, cottage cheese etc are very high in protein and very cheap for the amount of protein you get per serve. Also reconsider whether you need as much protein as you think you do.

    • zfind on 28/04/2025 - 15:24
      -2

      Some of these have a noticeable amount of saturated fat, if you’re trying to look after your heart it’s best to be careful / take note. Turkey got me, I thought it was a healthy option but had more satty fats than I expected.

      • Dsiee on 28/04/2025 - 17:37
        +3

        I don't think this advice is current with the more recent literature.

        • zfind on 28/04/2025 - 18:22
          +2

          Interesting, I’ll need to go back for another look. Cheers

    • borrisz0r on 28/04/2025 - 17:20

      Agree, plenty of food based options are available, but it's all subjective and needs to consider your circumstances. I train 10-11 times per week (gym, running and karate), without a good protein powder, I am noticeably more sore without it. I also start dropping size/weight, which is a problem with my slim frame.

      Someone going to the gym 3 times per week and not pushing hard probably doesn't need to supplement ,a good diet should cover it.

  • blackhorn on 28/04/2025 - 09:14

    better import WPI directly from china

    • tenpercent on 28/04/2025 - 15:41
      +2

      Is that the Mandarin word for melamine?

    • wetsandwich on 29/04/2025 - 11:12

      They import it from us so that they don't die when they eat it, so, that seems like a pretty big gamble.

  • lonewolf on 28/04/2025 - 11:44

    I have been buying Protein powders (both local and international for 30 years. I would say prices have gone up for Multiple reasons.
    A lot more demand for it in lots of different products not just protein powders as more people are into the health craze.
    a lot of our dairy gets exported so less available for us.
    Because some distributors / retailers know they can increase the price and make higher profits.

    Other question is how much larger has the dairy industry gotten in regards to also populations. I remember back in the day AUS protein was way cheaper than US protein (after shipping / tax etc) but then it got to a point it was cheaper to import in US protein which was a joke and made no sense. Shame really as NZ and Aus dairy is some of the best in the world if not the best. I used to also buy the 20/25kg sacks of WPC / WPI direct from the dairy manufacturers. Even those prices skyrocketed.

    • tenpercent on 28/04/2025 - 11:51
      +2

      Milk and other milk-based products haven't gone up as much. So I think there's a bit of price gouging testing to see what prices the consumer market will accept.

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