The Journey of Protein Powder: From Farm to Shake
Sometimes with food, you just don't want to know how it's made. Cue those nightmare-inducing food documentaries that make you reconsider eating ever again. Protein powder production can be pretty sketchy too, with some brands doing gross things like bleaching their whey or tossing in chemical junk like a bad science experiment.
Not Purist™ protein powder. Not only are the ingredients pure and real, but so is the process for making it.
Purist's five-step process is simple. No chemicals. No shady additives or unnecessary processing. Just pure, lab-tested whey protein isolate without all the chemical drama.
Let’s break down how Purist™ whey goes from grass-fed cows to your shaker bottle.
Five Steps from Farm to Shake
1. Sourcing Quality Milk
It all starts with the milk. Our whey comes from grass-fed cows raised in open pastures, where they have space to roam and graze naturally. Happy cows make for high-quality milk, and we prioritize humane, ethical farming practices that support their well-being.
Our Wisconsin farms are located close to our facilities — most within 50 to 100 miles — ensuring the milk is fresh when it arrives at the cheese factory. And yes, cheese is a big part of making whey protein! Sustainable sourcing and responsible dairy farming are at the heart of what we do.
2. Separation Between Cheese and Whey
Whey is a natural aspect of making cheese. During cheese-making, the curds and the whey are separated using enzymes – a natural process that maintains the integrity of proteins. This is the fork in the road: the cheese path and the whey path.
Some manufacturers add in dyes or bleach during this step (think: factories that dye their cheese orange must then bleach the whey so it’s not orange – and this bleach doesn’t show up on the ingredient panel because it’s technically part of the production process). We think that’s weird and gross. Purist™ protein avoids harsh chemicals and definitely no bleach, ensuring that the resulting whey is free from impurities.
3. Filter Down to the Good Stuff
The third step is filtering the whey. This is like sifting through sand to find the gold. In this case, the whey is filtered through tiny membranes that separate the protein from the lactose, excess fat, a lot of the carbs – the goal is to strip everything away to leave as pure of a protein source as you can get.
Purist™ whey uses double filtration: micro and ultra-filtration. This multi-step filtration system ensures that what remains is a very high protein product that retains essential amino acids like BCAAs, crucial for muscle growth and repair. Basically, we just sift through an already healthy product to isolate only what we want: at least 90% protein, so it is considered a whey protein “isolate.” Don’t worry; the remaining 10% is still good stuff, like vitamins and minerals.
At this point, the whey is a liquid. The next step is to make that into a powder.
4. Powder Time
Turning the liquid into a powder is simple. No harmful chemicals or acid needed. We put it in a special drying chamber that atomizes the liquid whey into tiny droplets using high-pressure air nozzles. Inside the chamber, hot air is blasted at high speeds, instantly exposing these tiny droplets to heat. This rapid exposure causes the water in the droplets to evaporate almost immediately, leaving behind fine, dry particles of protein. The resulting dry particles fall to the bottom of the chamber as whey protein powder.
Think of it like the evaporation process for drying food, like turning grapes into raisins or meat into jerky, but faster and more controlled.
The hot air evaporates the liquid, leaving behind the solid protein — just in a much finer, powdery form. This method preserves the protein content and its nutritional properties, making it perfect for whey protein powder.
5. Flavor Town
The final step is to add simple flavors. For the chocolate protein powder, we simply add cocoa powder. No colors. No preservatives.
For vanilla, we use a proprietary blend of naturally occurring flavors (nothing invented in a lab). Only tasty stuff that grows in the ground -- ingredients you can spell and know well. (We can’t tell you the exact blend or it wouldn’t be, well, proprietary.) We don’t inject colors into our vanilla protein powder either; if you look at unflavored and vanilla powder side by side, they look identical.
Our theory: Less is more. Fewer ingredients. A short and simple manufacturing process. Cows that eat simple grass. Pure ingredients that enhance flavor and solubility, resulting in 25g of protein per serving. Purist™ whey comes in versatile flavors like chocolate and vanilla with more to come, perfect for post-workout shakes or meal replacements.
What is Protein Powder Made Of?
Whey protein powder primarily consists of protein derived from milk, along with natural flavors like cocoa powder. Purist™ whey contains no artificial additives and has only four ingredients. They are:
Dutch Chocolate:
- Grass-fed whey protein isolate.
- Organic cocoa processed with alkali. “Processed with alkali” means the food has been treated to reduce acidity (making it easier on your stomach), improve solubility, and enhance texture, making it smoother and easier to mix. This also makes it taste milder, smoother, and less bitter, which many people find more pleasant, especially in things like chocolate or protein powders. This is a common, food-safe method approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA.
- Organic stevia (Rebaudioside A, a highly purified extract from the stevia plant that's used as a natural, calorie-free sweetener).
- Sunflower lecithin (a natural, non-GMO emulsifier that improves mixability and supports brain health, digestion, and cell function). Unlike soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin is free from GMOs and often preferred by those avoiding soy-based ingredients.
Vanilla:
- Grass-fed whey protein isolate.
- Natural flavor. "Natural flavor" might sound vague, but there's nothing shady about it. It simply refers to a proprietary blend of flavor compounds sourced from plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, or animal products. Extracted through methods like distillation, fermentation, or roasting, these flavors enhance taste naturally—without artificial additives.
- Organic stevia (good ol’ Reb A).
- Sunflower lecithin.
Can Protein Powder Go Bad?
Yes, protein powder can expire. Purist™ powder recommends consumption within two years. After that, you may notice some clumping and change of flavor. Storing protein powder in a cool, dry place helps maintain its quality.
We don’t use preservatives to keep it fresh. No refrigeration necessary.
Whey protein isolate doesn’t need refrigeration because its low moisture content prevents bacterial growth. It's processed through filtration to remove fats, lactose, and water, making it shelf-stable. Our packaging helps protect it from moisture, and its lack of perishable ingredients ensures a long shelf life.
Once mixed with liquid, though, it must be refrigerated and consumed quickly. Do not make the mistake of leaving it in your shaker bottle in the bottom of your gym bag.
Is It Okay to Freeze Protein Powder?
Freezing protein powder is safe – but it’s really not necessary.
Nutritional and Health Benefits of Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein aids muscle repair, boosts recovery, supports weight management, and enhances immune function. Purist™ protein’s clean formula ensures easy digestion with minimal gastrointestinal discomfort. Rich in BCAAs, it helps in muscle protein synthesis, reduces muscle soreness, and supports lean muscle gain. The absence of artificial additives makes it ideal for people with dietary sensitivities.
Sustainability and Ethics
Grass-fed cows reduce environmental impact and promote animal welfare. And the packaging is eco-friendly to minimize the carbon footprint.
Go Pure
Purist™ whey protein stands out for total transparency, minimal processing, safe for competitive athletes. The product undergoes rigorous third-party testing to guarantee it’s free from banned substances.
From the rolling pastures to your shaker bottle, each step in the production of Purist™ whey is meticulously controlled and cared for. The choice of grass-fed milk ensures a nutrient-rich base, while advanced filtration techniques maintain protein integrity. With a focus on purity, the environment, and high performance, it’s the ideal choice for people who are serious about their nutrition.
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