Your ‘proteinmaxxing’ is creating a whey shortage that’s ratcheting up prices and leaving snack companies to eat costs or make recipes worse

When David Protein began selling its bars in late 2024, the whey protein used in the products cost $7 per pound. Today, that figure has nearly doubled to $12 per pound. Peter Rahal, David’s founder and CEO, said a wave of demand for high protein foods—dubbed “proteinmaxxing” is behind the skyrocketing prices. “I don’t see it slowing down necessarily because people are trying to get more protein to look better,” Rahal told Fortune. “You’re seeing protein capitalism at play.” Protein-packed products, from pasta to cereal to popcorn, have made their way to store shelves amid a surge in protein popularity. Many of these products source the macronutrient from whey, a byproduct of the cheesemaking process. But as demand for these products explodes, companies are facing a supply shortage of this key ingredient and are faced with soaring prices—and difficult decisions to make. The rise of proteinmaxxing The recent obsession with protein isn’t fueled by bodybuilding or even a diet fad, but rather by the increasing use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, which can suppress appetite and require users to pivot to nutrient-dense foods, such as those high in protein, to avoid muscle loss. About 10% of the U.S. population has taken a GLP-1 drug, and the increase in protein intake directly helps GLP-1 users preserve muscle. The Department of Health and Human Services has also revised its Dietary Guidelines for Americans, putting an emphasis on protein-heavy foods, such as red meat and full-fat dairy. “We have a tremendous amount of demand that’s come into the market here in the last few years,” Kathleen Wolfley, vice president of agriculture consultancy Ever.Ag Insights, told Fortune. “I’ll say that a lot of that demand is probably being driven by a push towards wellness and protein being one of those key wellness focal points.” For many companies, whey is the gold standard for protein-packed snack foods. Compared to protein isolates from milk or plant-based sources