Does protein powder expire? Most protein powder has a shelf life of 9 months to one year. There is a study that has shown that whey protein powder has a shelf life of more than one year and as much as 19 months. And that is under normal temperature conditions such as 70 Fahrenheit/21 Celsius and 35% humidity.
Does Protein Powder Expire?
Some of the additives that can increase the shelf life up to 2 years are salt, maltodextrin and lecithin. One of the signs of expired protein is the smell, odor, bitter taste, change of color or even clumping. Most protein powders are low in moisture which means they are less prone to bacteria growth. The older the protein powder is the more it loses its protein content. If your protein powder has been stored properly it can still be safe to take after the expiration date.
Does Protein Powder Expire? Photo Credit: S_Bachstroem
There was a study that showed that amino acid lysine dropped from 5.5% to 4.2% in one year while stored at 70 degrees Fahrenheit with 45-65% humidity. Another study showed that when whey protein was stored at 113 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 weeks that there was an undesirable change in taste. And this change of taste was because of the increase in oxidation and production of various compounds.
Protein comes in all sources such as whey, casein, pea, rice, egg white, soy, collagen, etc.
“The older the protein powder is the more it loses its protein content. If your protein powder has been stored properly it can still be safe to take after the expiration date.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike
The Bottom Line is whey protein has a shelf life of 9 to 12 months. Even after the expiration date it is still safe to consume protein provided there are no bad signs such as an overpowering smell or clumping.
It is important to remember that protein powder can come from plant based or animal-based sources.
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References
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- Rao Q, Klaassen Kamdar A, Labuza TP. Storage Stability of Food Protein Hydrolysates-A Review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016 May 18;56(7):1169-92. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2012.758085. PMID: 24915379.
- Chan, P.N.A. (2015). Chemical Properties and Applications of Food Additives: Preservatives, Dietary Ingredients, and Processing Aids. In: Cheung, P., Mehta, B. (eds) Handbook of Food Chemistry. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36605-5_37
- Wang W. (2015). Advanced protein formulations. Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society, 24(7), 1031–1039. https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.2684
- Tunick MH, Thomas-Gahring A, Van Hekken DL, Iandola SK, Singh M, Qi PX, Ukuku DO, Mukhopadhyay S, Onwulata CI, Tomasula PM. Physical and chemical changes in whey protein concentrate stored at elevated temperature and humidity. J Dairy Sci. 2016 Mar;99(3):2372-2383. doi: 10.3168/jds.2015-10256. Epub 2016 Jan 6. PMID: 26778305.
- Sithole R, McDaniel MR, Goddik LM. Rate of maillard browning in sweet whey powder. J Dairy Sci. 2005 May;88(5):1636-45. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72835-6. PMID: 15829654.
