Whey protein undergoes a meticulous journey before it arrives at your door, but the transformation from dairy farm to supplement pouch is an impressive feat of logistics and engineering.
To give you a close-up look, we sent Myprotein Head of Innovation Paul Smith-Johnson to our Warrington factory to reveal exactly how your favourite supplement is created.
Jump to:
- From farm to powder: The raw beginnings
- Step 1: Delivery and quality control
- Step 2: The weigh room and allergen safety
- Step 3: Rip ‘n’ tip and the secret formula
- Step 4: Big blending in the IBC
- Step 5: The filling line and final checks
- The science: How whey supports your muscles
- Third-party testing and Informed Certification
From farm to powder: The raw beginnings
Whey begins its journey on the farm, sourced from the same dairy cows that provide the milk and cheese in your fridge. To ensure the liquid is safe for consumption, it undergoes pasteurisation to kill off any unwanted bacteria before being boiled, cooled and transported to a cheese manufacturing plant.
While many people focus on the cheese, whey is actually a highly valuable co-product of the cheesemaking process. After pasteurisation, milk typically consists of 80% casein and 20% whey, and naturally occurring enzymes are added to trigger the separation of the two.
This separation leaves behind a liquid (the whey) and a cottage cheese-like solid (the casein). The liquid whey is then purified to remove excess fat, water and minerals, before entering a large turbine where it is dried with hot and cold air.
The resulting 90% whey protein powder is then ready to be shipped to our state-of-the-art facility in Warrington. This concentrated powder serves as the foundation for the shakes that power your recovery.
Step 1: Delivery and quality control
Our Warrington factory runs like clockwork 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to handle several hundred tonnes of protein. Once the raw whey arrives, it is stored in our massive raw materials warehouse which houses thousands of different ingredients.
We don’t just take the delivery at face value, as every single batch undergoes rigorous testing in our raw material lab. This ensures that our high standards for purity are met and that we are using the best quality whey without unnecessary fillers.
Step 2: The weigh room and allergen safety
After the lab clears the ingredients, a picker uses a digital works order to scan specific batch codes for the day’s production. The materials are then transported to the weigh room, where precision is the name of the game.
In this zone, a controller meticulously checks every ingredient for potential allergens. To prevent any risk of cross-contamination, allergens are split and handled in separate rooms, ensuring the safety of every pouch we produce.
Step 3: Rip ‘n’ tip and the secret formula
The "rip ‘n’ tip" station is where the physical assembly begins as operators open the ingredient bags and tip them into a hopper. Before reaching the mixing stage, all materials pass through a fine 2mm sieve to break down clumps.
The order in which ingredients are added is a closely guarded trade secret, as this specific sequence is what defines the consistency and quality of our blend.
Once the ingredients are tipped, the operator inspects the sieve for any foreign bodies. If even a minor issue is detected, the Quality Assurance (QA) team is notified immediately, and the entire job is placed on a strict hold.
Step 4: Big blending in the IBC
The ingredients travel from the hopper into an Intermediate Bulk Container, or IBC. Think of this as a giant, industrial-sized mixing bowl that holds massive quantities of protein powder.
The IBC rotates slowly and methodically for approximately 30 minutes to ensure the blend is completely homogenised. This consistent mixing means that the first scoop of your protein bag will have the exact same nutritional profile as the last.
Step 5: The filling line and final checks
While the IBC is blending, our packaging team prepares the signature pouches. Our machines print nutritional information and product descriptions onto the bags in real-time before they meet the protein at the filling line.
Before filling starts, we perform another deep clean of the equipment to remove any trace of previous ingredients. The IBC is then connected to the filling machine, where pouches are filled, weighted for accuracy, and topped with a scoop.
Heat sealing: Every pouch is heat-sealed to preserve freshness and prevent leaks. X-Ray detection: Bags pass through an X-ray to ensure only protein and a scoop are inside. Gold standard testing: Each batch is taste-tested against a "gold standard" sample to ensure the flavour profile is perfect.
Third-party testing and Informed Certification
Quality doesn't stop at the factory floor, and we go the extra mile to ensure our supplements are as pure as possible. Many of our products carry the Informed Choice or Informed Sport certification, which involves rigorous third-party testing.
This process checks for impurities and banned substances, providing an extra layer of confidence for everyone from casual gym-goers to professional athletes. If you want to dive deeper into how we maintain these industry-leading standards, read this explainer on Informed Certification:
Take home message
The production of a pouch of whey is a complex journey involving dairy science, precision engineering, and strict quality controls. By managing every step from raw delivery to final taste-testing, we ensure that every shake helps you move closer to your fitness goals.
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