Most SA muscle products ‘whey’ too low in protein

Almost 70% of the whey protein products being sold in SA contain protein amounts markedly different from that declared on the labels, a scientific paper has revealed.

The study was conducted by University of Pretoria academics Hettie Schönfeld, Nicolette Hall and Beulah Pretorius, all of whom have PhDs in nutrition, and was published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.

Their most concerning finding was that of the 15 samples tested for protein amino acid content, one in four contained amounts that differed by more than 25% from that stated on the product label.

“And according to South Africa’s current draft label regulations of foods, the protein quality of 40% of these products was below the threshold, thus disqualifying them to make any protein benefit claims on product labels or in other marketing activities,” the authors said.

Commenting on the results, medical doctor, health scientist and publisher of consumer guide CAMcheck Dr Harris Steinman said: “The products claim to build muscle but have been stripped of essential amino acids so they are not proper proteins and cannot do so, but can only be used as fuel.”

The authors compiled a list of 112 nutritional supplement brands and their protein products being offered for sale by six leading SA pharmacy groups and retailers and nine online stores.

All the products claimed to have a minimum protein content of 20g per 100g product, or a claim to “increase muscle mass”.

Due to financial limitations, only 70 products were selected for nutrient analyses, across all brands.

Random samples were bought from retailers in Gauteng in two phases, in 2015 and 2017, and then tested at the Food and Beverage Laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Protein supplements are not specifically regulated in SA.

“It is possible to obtain daily protein requirements through a varied, regular diet,” the authors said. –