Whey protein concentrate
Checked by us One serving: 30 g (about 1 scoop) · 106 kcal
Protein, plus riboflavin and vitamin B12. Rich in 1 more nutrient: see Good for.
Nothing to watch so far.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (30 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
23.4 g in one serving: 42% of the 56 g a day men need, 51% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
- A lot
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.61 mg in one serving: 47% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 55% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0.74 µg in one serving: 31% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
4.64 mg in one serving: 29% of the 16 mg a day men need, 33% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
18 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
1.85 mg in one serving: 17% of the 11 mg a day men need, 23% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.18 mg in one serving: 15% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 16% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
58.5 mg in one serving: 15% of the 400 mg a day men need, 19% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
8.01 µg in one serving: 15% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
141 mg in one serving: 14% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.18 mg in one serving: 14% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
67.2 mg in one serving: 12% of the 550 mg a day men need, 16% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
150 mg in one serving: 4% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 6% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
9.9 µg in one serving: 2% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
0.93 g in one serving: 2% of the 38 g a day men need, 4% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.34 mg in one serving: 4% of the 8 mg a day men need, 2% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
10.2 mg in one serving: 1% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 1% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Aluminum
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 46 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 216 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 1.4–11% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit.
9,700 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week (70 mg a week for 70 kg). In 47 whey protein supplements bought mainly in Spain and Italy, not Canada, the mean was 7.19 mg/kg of powder; about 9,736 g a week would reach the limit, eaten alone. A 30 g serving a day carries 215.7 µg, 2.16% of the weekly limit, and adds 1.4% to 10.8% to the average adult's intake (0.2-1.5 mg/kg body weight/week, EFSA 2008); at the highest sample (35.22 mg/kg), 10.6%.
Bethencourt-Barbuzano E, et al. Whey Protein Dietary Supplements: Metal Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization. Nutrients 2023;15(16):3543 (PMC10458782) · grade B
Checked for cadmium, nickel and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 4.8 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 1.46 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 8.2% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 77% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 3,600 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 210 g a week, which stays within the 1,000 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 8.2% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Nickel
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 70 servings in a day of this food alone to use up what the highest average adult intake we found leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 9.6 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 4–4.7% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 27% of the limit.
The highest average adult intake we found already takes up about 26% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 2,800 g a day would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 30 g a day, which stays within the 2,100 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: nickel is rated against EFSA's tolerable daily intake of 13 µg/kg body weight/day (2020). The average adult already takes in 22-26% of it, under half, so a food would have to reach the limit on its own to matter. The mean nickel content was 0.32 mg/kg of powder, measured in 47 whey protein supplements bought mainly in Spain and Italy, not Canada; the study does not separate concentrates from isolates. About 2,844 g of powder a day would reach the limit, eaten alone. A 30 g serving carries 9.6 µg, 1.05% of the limit, and adds 3.3% to 7.5% to the average adult's intake (128-293 µg a day, EFSA 2020); at the highest sample (1.40 mg/kg) a serving is 4.6% of the limit.
Bethencourt-Barbuzano E, et al. Whey Protein Dietary Supplements: Metal Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization. Nutrients 2023;15(16):3543 (PMC10458782) · grade B
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 48 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 2.1% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.75 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: a 30 g serving at the lower-bound mean of 0.0251 µg/g carries 0.75 µg, 2.1% of EFSA's adult average lead intake of 35 µg a day (20% at the highest sample, 0.237 µg/g), far below doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The samples cover protein powders of all types, not whey alone.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
0 g of sugar in a 30 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Lactose: 4–8 g per 100 g, so about 1.2–2.4 g in a 30 g serving. · U.S · grade C
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 4
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's acceptable daily intake is 15 mg/kg body weight/day (1,050 mg a day for 70 kg), but no acesulfame K level in any whey powder was found, so no grams figure. Only flavoured powders carry it; 2 of 14 whey powders in a Hungarian sample declared it.
Shown as context, not rated: CFIA measured total arsenic, not the inorganic arsenic EFSA rates. The samples cover all protein powders, not whey alone.
Context only: total mercury, not methylmercury, so no methylmercury limit applies. Category of all protein types.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's acceptable daily intake stays at 15 mg/kg body weight/day (1,050 mg a day for 70 kg), but no sucralose level in any whey powder was found, so no grams figure. Only flavoured ones carry it; 12 of 14 whey powders in a Hungarian sample declared it.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 30 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
For protein: no other supplements we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 30 g.
For riboflavin: no other supplements we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 30 g.
For vitamin B12: no other supplements we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 30 g.
No other supplements we’ve checked to compare with.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
No other supplements we’ve checked to compare with.
No other supplements we’ve checked to compare with.
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Whey protein powder, whey-based (concentrate-type)
How the serving was set: 1 scoop or serving, about 30 g (no Health Canada reference amount for protein powder; see Serving)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.034 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Calcium | 469 mg | 140.7 mg | 133.24 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| 469 mg | 140.7 mg | 133.24 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #7231 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 6.25 g | 1.88 g | 1.78 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Choline | 224 mg | 67.2 mg | 63.64 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Energy | 352 kcal | 105.6 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Fat | 1.56 g | 0.47 g | 0.44 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Cholesterol | 16 mg | 4.8 mg | 4.55 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.781 g | 0.23 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Fibre | 3.1 g | 0.93 g | 0.88 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Folate | 33 µg | 9.9 µg | 9.38 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Iron | 1.13 mg | 0.34 mg | 0.32 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Magnesium | 195 mg | 58.5 mg | 55.4 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 15.46 mg | 4.64 mg | 4.39 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #7231 | C |
| Phosphorus | 1,321 mg | 396.3 mg | 375.28 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Potassium | 500 mg | 150 mg | 142.05 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Protein | 78.13 g | 23.44 g | 22.2 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 2.017 mg | 0.61 mg | 0.57 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Selenium | 26.7 µg | 8.01 µg | 7.59 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Sodium | 156 mg | 46.8 mg | 44.32 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Sugars | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.609 mg | 0.18 mg | 0.17 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.45 µg | 0.74 µg | 0.7 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.607 mg | 0.18 mg | 0.17 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Water | 3.44 g | 1.03 g | 0.98 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Zinc | 6.18 mg | 1.85 mg | 1.76 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Copper | 0.049 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Ash | 10.55 g | 3.17 g | 3 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Energy | 1,472 kj | 441.6 kj | 418.18 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Folate, food | 33 µg | 9.9 µg | 9.38 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 33 µg | 9.9 µg | 9.38 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.036 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.012 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.008 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.016 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.009 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.073 g | 0.02 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.432 g | 0.13 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.142 g | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.135 g | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.264 g | 0.08 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.034 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.018 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.158 g | 0.05 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.299 g | 0.09 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 1.136 mg | 0.34 mg | 0.32 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 5.516 mg | 1.65 mg | 1.57 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #173180 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Absorption studies
Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.
No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.
| Study | Nutrient | Absorbed | Test dose | People | Grade | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moughan 2005: true ileal total-nitrogen digestibility of whey protein concentrate, human ileostomates whey protein concentrate (WPC) · whey protein concentrate in a drink with protein-free biscuits; protein content of the WPC not stated · load not reported abstract only | Protein | 98.3 % | not reported | 8 | A | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Acesulfame potassium · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's acceptable daily intake is 15 mg/kg body weight/day (1,050 mg a day for 70 kg), but no acesulfame K level in any whey powder was found, so no grams figure. Only flavoured powders carry it; 2 of 14 whey powders in a Hungarian sample declared it. · EFSA 2025
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week (70 mg a week for 70 kg). In 47 whey protein supplements bought mainly in Spain and Italy, not Canada, the mean was 7.19 mg/kg of powder; about 9,736 g a week would reach the limit, eaten alone. A 30 g serving a day carries 215.7 µg, 2.16% of the weekly limit, and adds 1.4% to 10.8% to the average adult's intake (0.2-1.5 mg/kg body weight/week, EFSA 2008); at the highest sample (35.22 mg/kg), 10.6%. · Bethencourt 2023 · B
- Arsenic, all forms · Context · Shown as context, not rated: CFIA measured total arsenic, not the inorganic arsenic EFSA rates. The samples cover all protein powders, not whey alone. · CFIA 2018 · B
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 8.2% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · CFIA 2018 · C
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: a 30 g serving at the lower-bound mean of 0.0251 µg/g carries 0.75 µg, 2.1% of EFSA's adult average lead intake of 35 µg a day (20% at the highest sample, 0.237 µg/g), far below doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The samples cover protein powders of all types, not whey alone. · CFIA 2018 · B
- Mercury, all forms · Context · Context only: total mercury, not methylmercury, so no methylmercury limit applies. Category of all protein types. · CFIA 2018 · B
- Milk allergy · Worth knowing · Flagged for people with a milk allergy: milk is a Health Canada priority allergen, and whey is milk protein. Health Canada lists 'whey and whey protein concentrate' among the other names for milk and says not to eat a product that lists one. No agency threshold dose is used. · Health Canada, Milk - a priority food allergen · A
- Nickel · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: nickel is rated against EFSA's tolerable daily intake of 13 µg/kg body weight/day (2020). The average adult already takes in 22-26% of it, under half, so a food would have to reach the limit on its own to matter. The mean nickel content was 0.32 mg/kg of powder, measured in 47 whey protein supplements bought mainly in Spain and Italy, not Canada; the study does not separate concentrates from isolates. About 2,844 g of powder a day would reach the limit, eaten alone. A 30 g serving carries 9.6 µg, 1.05% of the limit, and adds 3.3% to 7.5% to the average adult's intake (128-293 µg a day, EFSA 2020); at the highest sample (1.40 mg/kg) a serving is 4.6% of the limit. · Bethencourt 2023 · B
- Sucralose · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's acceptable daily intake stays at 15 mg/kg body weight/day (1,050 mg a day for 70 kg), but no sucralose level in any whey powder was found, so no grams figure. Only flavoured ones carry it; 12 of 14 whey powders in a Hungarian sample declared it. · EFSA 2026
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- lactose: typical composition range for WPC80: 4.0% to 8.0% lactose g/100 g · powder as sold (typical composition of the ingredient grade) · whey protein concentrate, 80% protein grade (ingredient, not a retail product) · grade C · U.S
Sources
- Bethencourt-Barbuzano E, et al. Whey Protein Dietary Supplements: Metal Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization. Nutrients 2023;15(16):3543 (PMC10458782) · doi:10.3390/nu15163543 · PMID 37630733
bethencourt-2023· full text read · CC BY - CFIA, Toxic Metals in Selected Foods, April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 (open data resource 0e040e20-f157-46ce-860b-186b294ce1f7, product 'Protein Powder', 3,724 rows = 196 samples x 19 analytes)
cfia-toxic-metals-2018-19· dataset · Open Government Licence - Canada - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - EFSA FAF Panel, Re-evaluation of acesulfame K (E 950) as food additive, EFSA Journal 23(4):9317 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9317 · PMID 40309404
efsa-2025-acesulfame· full text read · CC BY-ND - EFSA FAF Panel, Re-evaluation of sucralose (E 955) as a food additive and evaluation of a new application on extension of use in fine bakery wares, EFSA Journal 24(2):9854 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9854
efsa-2026-sucralose· full text read · open access (PMC12911467) - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Milk - a priority food allergen
hc-milk-allergen· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Moughan PJ, Butts CA, van Wijk H, Rowan AM et al. An acute ileal amino acid digestibility assay is a valid procedure for use in human ileostomates. J Nutr 2005 Mar · doi:10.1093/jn/135.3.404 · PMID 15735070
pmid:15735070· abstract only · licence not recorded - U.S. Dairy Export Council, Reference Manual for U.S. Whey and Lactose Products (URL folder '2008ReferenceManuals')
usdec-whey-manual· full text read · licence not recorded
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.