The transparency of whey, a matter as opaque as it is acidic

New types of whey have recently emerged. They are called Clear Whey (translucent or transparent whey). Are they more effective because they are new?

Table of contents:

1. An invisible super-whey
2. Clear Whey vs classic whey
3. Problems with Clear Whey
4. Clear Whey in conclusion

An invisible super-whey

As their name suggests, once diluted in a liquid, Clear Whey leaves no trace; they are invisible! But does their invisibility make them more effective?

No, because it's still whey of cheese origin. So, why does Clear Whey seem so revolutionary? Simply because it perfectly solves the problems encountered by manufacturers of ready-to-drink protein beverages.

Since these drinks must be sterilized before being put on the market, the high temperature to which the protein is subjected cooks part of the whey, which creates residues that settle at the bottom of the bottle. These deposits are perceived as waste by consumers, who then turn away from these drinks.

Clear Whey vs classic whey

There are two major differences between classic whey and Clear Whey.

The latter are:

• Centrifuged to remove insoluble protein aggregates.
• Made very acidic to perfectly mix with the liquid and withstand heat treatment without coagulating.

On average, Clear Whey must have a pH of less than 4 (the lower the pH, the more acidic the protein). Beyond a pH of 4, heat treatment inevitably produces residues. For comparison, Nutrimuscle's native whey protein isolate has a pH of 6.5. It is therefore significantly less acidic.

Problems with Clear Whey

We see here a four-fold problem inherent in Clear Whey:

1. They are ultra-acidic, which is not good, neither for the stomach nor for your blood pH, both of which will become more acidic.
2. They are of cheese origin, therefore denatured and of poor quality.
3. Due to the addition of several extra manufacturing steps, they are more expensive.
4. In ready-to-drink protein beverages, the mandatory heat treatment will further degrade the quality of the protein.

Clear Whey: in conclusion

For engineers, Clear Whey is an astonishing technological feat. For marketers, Clear Whey provides an additional selling point as they try to make people believe that a protein that dissolves well is necessarily a very high-quality biological protein. But for athletes, Clear Whey turns out to be a step backward for both their muscles and their wallet.

Scientific references

LaClair CE. Ingredients and pH are key to clear beverages that contain whey protein. J Food Sci. 2010 Jan-Feb;75(1):C21-7.

LaClair CE. Turbidity and protein aggregation in whey protein beverages. J Food Sci. 2009 Sep;74(7):C526-35.