Authentication of Whey Protein Supplements with Their Labeling

The consumption of supplements by active individuals has been increasing over the last few years. Whey protein is one of the highly consumed supplements. Hence, this study aims to analyze the proximate and heavy metal content of different brands of whey protein. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 6 brands (5 international and 1 local), The results showed that brand VI had the most protein content percent change of - 18.65%, brand V showed the highest fat percent change of -83.12%, brand II showed the highest carbohydrate percent change of +867.52%. Regarding the heavy metals, brands land IV-VI were free from Pb. The highest arsenic concentration was in brand III (8.69 mg/kg). The highest cadmium concentration was found in brand III (1.3 mg/kg), followed by 0.58 mg/kg and 0.6 mg/kg in brands II and VI, respectively. Aluminium concentration was the highest in Brand VI. The examined brands of whey protein supplements sometimes lack the macros that are written on the package, thus they fail to produce the planned results from having whey protein supplements in the diet. Furthermore, they may have a risk of heavy metal contamination, the higher the supplementation dose (acute), the higher the contamination and the risks.