Why animal-free whey is the way forward for sports nutrition

Today, sports nutrition brand Myprotein launched its first animal-free whey product. The new Whey Forward line comes in Creamy Mint Chocolate Chip, Rich Salted Caramel and Decadent Chocolate Brownie flavors and features animal-free whey developed by San Bay Area-based company Perfect Day. Francisco. To make its animal-free whey, Perfect Day takes cow out of the equation and instead uses yeast-based microflora, which produces the same milk proteins during the precision fermentation process, but without any of the downsides of animal agriculture.

Myprotein’s new Whey Forward provides 20 grams of protein per serving but, thanks to Perfect Day’s animal-free whey, it has a much lighter carbon footprint than its traditional counterparts. That’s because Perfect Day’s animal-free whey uses 99% less water and emits 97% fewer greenhouse gases than conventional whey production.

Maprotein

“We are thrilled to combine Myprotein’s leadership in creating innovative, performance-driven products with the unparalleled nutrition and functionality of our animal-free whey protein,” said Ryan Pandya, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Day, in a press release. “Whey Forward illustrates how animal-free doesn’t mean sacrificing taste, performance, or the future of our planet.”

The new Whey Forward range is exclusively available on the Myprotein website for $39.99 (20 servings), $24.99 (10 servings) and $4.99 (one serving).

Making animal-free whey the new standard in sports nutrition

Myprotein already offers a variety of vegan products under its Myvegan line, including soy protein isolate and pea protein. However, the brand, leader in the field of online sports nutrition, has partnered with Perfect Day to develop a product comparable in all respects to traditional whey protein but manufactured without depending on animal agriculture.

“It was important for us to offer Whey Forward to our customers because of the lifestyle changes we are seeing. While there is still a large audience for traditional forms of protein, we have noticed a desire for a non-animal whey protein alternative without sacrificing taste, texture or performance,” Pallav Tamaskar, Vice -executive chairman/CEO of Myprotein US, VegNews said. “Our goal is to always fuel the ambitions of people around the world – to make the best in sports nutrition accessible to everyone, whatever their goal, by including a wide selection of products that meet a variety of dietary needs.”

Natrève

Myprotein is the latest sports nutrition brand to partner with Perfect Day in this capacity. Earlier this year, Natreve, which also offers a separate vegan line, launched Mooless, a line that includes Perfect Day’s animal-free whey. This line is now available in four flavors (Strawberry Shortcake, Vanilla Bean Cupcake, Cookies and Creme, and Chocolate Fudge Brownie) at The Vitamin Shoppe nationwide. This trend, according to Tamaskar, is indicative of a transformation within the sports nutrition industry, driven by a change in the way modern athletes and fitness enthusiasts eat.

“The sports industry has certainly changed in the sense that protein alternatives are no longer viewed as a barrier to performance,” Tamaskar said. “We live in a time where some of the best sporting talent is vocally pursuing non-traditional diets, crediting these lifestyles with helping them reach the top of their game. Bringing a product like Whey Forward to market is just one more tool for fitness enthusiasts, whether established or new, to achieve their personal goals without compromise.

Transforming the food industry with animal-free whey

Outside of the sports nutrition industry, Perfect Day’s innovative whey protein is also catalyzing the move away from traditional dairy in other categories. Since its release, the company has worked with a handful of ice cream brands to launch animal-free lines, including Swedish brand Nick’s, Midwestern brand Graeters, and more.

The Urgent Society

Perfect Day also operates its own brand of consumer packaged goods, The Urgent Company (TUC), which produces Brave Robot ice cream and cake mix, and Modern Kitchen cream cheese, all using its animal-free whey. Last year, TUC made its first acquisition, the Coolhaus ice cream brand, and is currently transforming that brand to replace dairy with Perfect Day’s animal-free whey.

And the company’s sustainable approach to making dairy without cows inspires all-new dairy brands and products. In May, modern dairy company Tomorrow Farms announced the launch of its first brand, Bored Cow, a line of dairy-identical flavored milks using Perfect Day’s animal-free whey.

This follows the March launch of Betterland Foods, another modern dairy company that relies on Perfect Day’s technology rather than cows to produce milk. This brand was founded by Lizanne Falseto, a portable nutrition industry pioneer who founded the think! protein bar brand. Falsetto recently expanded Betterland Foods to include the WOO line of chocolate bars, under which it released animal-free remakes of Milky Way and Snickers bars.

Perfect Day also partners with major food brands, including General Mills, to reduce their reliance on animal agriculture and improve their sustainability metrics. Earlier this year, the company worked with candy giant Mars to test launch a chocolate bar called “CO2COA” – its first vegan milk chocolate bar in the United States. Here, Perfect Day’s animal-free functional whey allows the chocolate bar to be as creamy as Mars’ milk-based offerings, including Dove, Milky Way, Snickers and M&Ms. The performance of this bar will help inform Mars of future launches.

For the latest vegan news, read:
Two new soft vegan flavors are coming to 16 handfuls
Meet the First Vegan Winner of Food Network’s ‘Great Food Truck Race’
California invests $5 million in alternative protein research

Anna Starostinetskaya is the editor-in-chief of VegNews and always keeps tabs on all things vegan in her hometown of San Francisco, California, and everywhere else.