Australian Protein Powder vs U.S.A. Protein Powder. What is the difference?

Protein powder has risen in popularity over the past 10 years and most people at some stage have purchased protein powder. In Australia the market has been flooded with US imported whey protein, and currently, it outsells Australian protein significantly. What many do not realise is that there is a clear difference between whey protein sourced from Australia and whey protein sourced from the USA.

Surprisingly, most Australians are unaware of the superior quality of Australian whey protein powder (the same can be said of many Australian-made and Australian-sourced foods for that matter). They tend to look towards the brands that are the cheapest, and at times, the most heavily marketed, not necessarily those that are going to be better for them. Most people will buy what they know, what is sold to them by the retailer and what is convenient at the time of purchase.

Ironically protein powder has been scientifically proven to provide the highest bio-availability readings of protein (absorption into the human body at a higher level) than any other foods consumed. The complete egg (yolk included) is the only food source that comes close, and even then, whey protein powder is a clear winner in the race of quality absorption into the human body. With this in mind, when you consider whey protein powder is consumed to increase the quality of nutrients in our body, to assist with rapid recovery, and for immune function and repair.

It makes no sense whatsoever that the majority of Australian are buying protein that is of lower quality, taste and solubility.

If you care about the quality of protein you purchase, the results you achieve from its consumption, and what you’re putting in your body, then perhaps you need to be looking closer.

Some Protein Facts all Consumers Should Know About:

Whey protein is a commodity. Now more than ever, in 2018 and beyond, whey protein powder is attracting the eyes of all countries across the world and as a result the market price for whey protein powder is determined by supply and demand worldwide. So, if you keep that in mind you may start understanding why protein powders in Australia and also New Zealand are more expensive to purchase.

The next question you may ask is, why do so many countries want to purchase protein powder produced in Australia and New Zealand as opposed to whey protein powder made in the United States? Now we are starting to get down to the nitty gritty of it all. It’s time to become more knowledgeable and better informed so that you can distinguish between fact and the misguided information that some of these sellers are feeding you when they are so desperately trying to sell you whey protein powder from the U.S.A.

Keeping in mind that whey protein is actually a ‘by-product’ in the manufacturing process of cheese, retained from milk produced my cows, here are the top 8 reasons why Australian Protein powder is of much greater value then its American counterpart:
Australian over American

1. FSANZ-Food standards Australia and New Zealand governs the standard of foods manufactured in both Australia and New Zealand. FSANZ is recognized worldwide by food technicians, nutritionists and food gurus as the highest standard applicable to foods across the globe. This is also one of the top reasons why so many countries in Asia such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia want to source Australian products. They know and understand the difference between Australian-made and US-made first hand.
2. When you purchase Australian whey protein you support Australian cattle (cows), Australian farmers and Australian citizens. These cows eat off Australian soil, breath air here in Oz, drink water from our waterways and all this from an environment that is very lightly populated with an abundance of land to choose from. In comparison, the USA is much more heavily commercialised than Australia; their air, water, soil and waterways are not of the same quality. The fact is that as of 2018, 325 million plus people live in America with a land mass of 9.5million km squared, compared to Australia’s population of under 25 million with a land mass of just under 7.7 million km squared. Well yes…helloooooo!
3. As a result of the above two points, a vast proportion of Australian dairy cattle (cows) are grass fed, and hormone, chemical and antibiotic free. The sheer numbers required by the US economy to churn out produce at a rapid rate to meet its population needs makes these important quality factors very difficult to adhere to.
4. You’re supporting the Australian economy. That’s your economy. You’re taking ownership of what is yours.
5. USA whey protein powder is generally cheaper than Australian protein powder. This is hard to believe when you consider it has to be shipped all the way over from America. It is transported in shipping containers which are exposed to extreme temperature conditions. Have you ever thought of what extreme heat does to whey protein peptides (two or more forming amino acids) in whey protein??? Yes, it destroys its bio-availability so your guess is as good as mine as to how much of the whey protein is in fact of any value.
6. By purchasing Australian whey protein powder, you are purchasing a protein powder that is more likely to be of higher grade, value, bio-availability, taste profile, flavour, mixability, frothiness, creaminess and overall texture. Have I got your attention yet?
7. The number of fake products on the market is incredible. It is highly unlikely when purchasing an Australian product from Australia that you will end up purchasing a fake, rip-off of the genuine product. You only have to do a quick search on fake whey protein to begin to understand the amount of fakes there are, and the types of products that are being copied…yes you guessed it, mainly US products.
8. You’re being subconsciously told time and time again that brands such as Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Dymatize, Muscletech and even Bulk Nutrients (an Australian company importing USA whey protein powders) are better than the rest. That’s called marketing and these companies’ multi-million-dollar budgets allow them to do this. Without thinking deeper about the protein you should be consuming, most of the time we follow our subconscious thoughts which means in a sense we have been brainwashed to believe, and believe blindly, that what these companies are telling you is true and correct. Understand one thing; the more money companies spend on advertising and marketing, the less money they have to spend on quality ingredients. Get the idea?

My Personal Experience

I have been involved in the fitness industry now for over 30 years, and not only remain passionate about what I do, but have gained a significant insight into how a number of companies are doing business. I only consume quality protein sources, including Australian whey protein powder, and have over 20 Athletique Physique titles to prove exactly what quality whey protein powder can assist in producing. I have also trained in excess of 300 athletes all of whom required a quality protein source.

All industries are the same in the sense that once you get involved you know what your smallest and largest competitors are doing. Everyone remains so close to each other due to the common goals they all share that there is less than 6 degrees of separation between rivals. Account managers talk to retailers, retailers talk and relay information to account managers that work for opposing companies and you begin to put 2 and 2 together very quickly.

Just like you probably would not purchase PT sessions off someone who is obese in an effort to lose weight, you shouldn’t purchase whey protein from a company that has little to no interest in the health, fitness or longevity just because they’re telling you that you should…. Think again and have a close look at how that person lives their life. Many have little to no interest in the industry that they are involved in except to make money, sometimes in any way shape or form they possibly can.

When you become familiar with something it’s only on a rare occasion that you start to look deeper into the exact workings of it. On numerous occasions I have heard people mention, ’My friend said this is the best one’ (referring to whey protein powder) or ‘My personal trainer recommended it to me’ and for some crazy reason that’s good enough…. absolutely ludicrous, don’t you think?

When was the last time ‘your friend’ or ‘your personal trainer’ actually did some research into whey protein and examined it closely enough to really understand the difference between a quality protein and one that just claims to be of quality. I understand the rapport you may have with your friend but it is highly unlikely that your personal trainer has done an appropriate course in the difference between superior whey protein powder and whey proteins that are just heavily marketed.

Just because they are PTs does not qualify them to give advice on this subject. I would not go to a general practitioner if I had a heart problem except for the purpose of being referred to a heart specialist/cardiologist and I certainly would not be getting advice from a plumber if I needed help with wiring up electrical components in my house. I’m not suggesting you should not listen to your friends or personal trainers at all, but a little bit of common sense goes a long way, and doing research nowadays is so easy.

With the amount of information and technology available there is no excuse. After all, you are wanting a quality protein to achieve a quality goal. Correct me if I am wrong, but that quality goal usually revolves around quality nutrients to increase your recovery, level of health, well-being, lean tissue gains, weight loss or whatever it may be. Does anyone consciously make an effort to sabotage their own goals? I think not.

Australian Protein Powder

It’s also important you are aware that just because a company is Australian-owned it does not necessarily mean that the whey protein is sourced from Australia. Bulk Nutrients is one example and there are other Australian companies that will cut as many costs as possible to increase their bottom line and make greater profits at the expense of the Australian consumer without batting an eyelid.

So, if the whey protein that you are purchasing comes from an Australian company but they do not mention that the protein is sourced from Australia then chances are that it’s not and that the quality is not of the highest order. It most likely cost that company half of what it costs to source an Australian whey protein powder.

This is more common in retail stores that have their own brand of protein powder, though it does not relate to all retailers and more likely to be correct with the larger retailers that own several retail outlets, as their expenses increase so heavily that they seem to have no choice but to cut costs to increase their margins in order to maintain a healthy profit. You may have heard of the common term ‘Caveat emptor’ the Latin phrase for ‘Buyer beware’. It’s worth noting particularly when purchasing whey protein powder.

In Summary

If you really care about your body, your muscles, your recovery, your nutrient intake, your overall health and getting quality protein into your system then do a little research for yourself. Find out where the protein you’re purchasing from is actually sourced and be aware if it does not specifically tell you on the label, website or advertisement that it comes from Australia that’s usually because it does not.

Don’t just take the word of the person referring you to that protein or trying to sell you a whey protein; look for the correct cues; check for signs that the whey protein is made and sourced from Australian locations, tastes good, does not repeat on you or cause you gut issues, and does not continuously make you run to the toilet or gives you bad wind or gas (we have come a long way since the 80s and 90s and good protein generally does not do this to you unless you have an intolerance to whey/dairy or certain sweeteners). Any company that has a quality whey protein powder will make it loud and clear by stating the source visibly on all of their marketing material.

Next time you purchase a whey protein powder why not consider Australian-made, chemical, antibiotic and hormone free from an Australian affirmed whey protein source. I can guarantee you, once you compare the taste, feel and results you’ll be pleasantly surprised.