Bespoke protein powder manufacturing
British VitaTech is a UK protein powder manufacturer that develops and makes custom whey, casein and plant protein powders for brands worldwide, from formulation to finished product, and the brand owns the formula.
Reviewed on
Classic, clear and plant protein powders, made in Leicester
Classic and clear shakes, plant blends, and protein with creatine, electrolytes or fibre: these are the custom protein powders we formulate and make in-house in Leicester for sports, wellness and everyday nutrition brands, filled into tubs, pouches and single-serve sticks. As protein powder manufacturers, we build for protein quality, not just protein content, and confirm every blend with amino acid data. Every batch is tested by accredited partner laboratories and comes with its certificate of analysis. Protein powders anchor our sports nutrition manufacturing, and we make protein gummies, ready-to-drink shakes and bars beside them. Your formula is yours.
Seventy per cent of US adults say they actively try to consume protein, up from 59% in 2022, according to International Food Information Council research reported by New Hope Network in May 2026, and SPINS data in the same report put US whey protein sales up 13.5% in 2025. We build for that wider buyer from these proteins, alone or in blends:
| Protein | Grades | What it brings | What to manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whey concentrate | WPC 34 to 80% protein | Creamy body, dairy flavour, cost efficiency | Lactose and fat; browning in warm storage |
| Whey isolate | 90% protein or more | Low lactose, clean taste, clear acidic drinks | Foam and astringency at low pH |
| Hydrolysed whey | Partly broken down into peptides | Fast digestion, light texture | Bitterness rises with hydrolysis |
| Casein and milk protein | Micellar casein and milk protein concentrates | Slow digestion, thick texture, a second dairy supply route | Viscosity and mixability |
| Pea | Concentrate or isolate | Vegan, lysine-rich, not a major allergen | Low in sulphur amino acids; earthy notes |
| Brown rice | Concentrate | Sulphur amino acids that complement pea | Low in lysine; heavy-metal scrutiny |
| Soy | Isolate | A strong plant amino acid profile | A major allergen in the UK, EU and US |
| Other sources | Oat, faba, pumpkin, hemp, egg white, beef | Diversity and label stories | Amino acid gaps and supply depth |
Precision-fermented, insect and other new proteins need novel food authorisation in the UK and EU, while in the US precision-fermented beta-lactoglobulin reached the market through GRAS notices to FDA. Beef protein isolates can be rich in collagen, which has no tryptophan, so we check every new source's amino acid profile before it carries a quality message.
Protein quality, leucine per serving and a powder that mixes
Protein quality: DIAAS and PDCAAS
Protein content is not protein quality. PDCAAS, used in US labelling, rests on the total-tract digestibility of crude protein and is capped at 1.0. DIAAS, recommended in a 2013 FAO expert consultation report, measures the digestibility of each indispensable amino acid at the end of the small intestine. FAO bands rate a DIAAS of 100 or more as excellent, 75 to 99 as good, and below 75 as too low for a quality claim. In University of Illinois ileal digestibility studies in pigs, dairy proteins scored 100 or more, soy protein isolate 75 to 100 and pea protein concentrate below 75 (Mathai, Liu and Stein, 2017). Blends close the gap: pea is low in sulphur amino acids and rice in lysine, so the right ratio lifts the score (Herreman and colleagues, 2020). Collagen adds grams but no tryptophan, so it dilutes a blend's score (Paul and colleagues, 2019).
Serving size, leucine and digestion speed
The International Society of Sports Nutrition advises 20 to 40 g of protein per serving, with 0.7 to 3 g of leucine, and 1.4 to 2.0 g per kilogram a day for people who exercise (Jäger and colleagues, 2017). Whey carries more leucine per gram than pea or soy, so a plant blend needs a larger serving or added leucine to match it. Whey also digests fast and casein slowly (Boirie and colleagues, 1997), so an evening powder leans on casein and a post-exercise shake on whey.
Browning and lysine loss in warm storage
Whey concentrate carries lactose, which reacts with lysine in warm storage. This Maillard reaction browns the powder, shifts its flavour and reduces available lysine; fats oxidise, and plant proteins develop cardboard notes. We specify the protein grade, low water activity and high-barrier packaging, then confirm shelf life with real-time and accelerated stability studies run by accredited partner laboratories.
Flavour and mixability
A scoop has to wet, disperse and dissolve. Fine particles wet on the outside and trap dry powder inside, so we specify instantised grades coated with lecithin: sunflower lecithin keeps a soy-free label, while soy lecithin adds a soy declaration. Clear whey needs an acid and sweetener system that controls astringency at low pH. Our flavour and taste masking work builds the flavour with the protein, and we test mixability by shaker and spoon, in water and milk.
Private label protein powder in tubs, sticks and combinations
Most private label protein powder launches start in a tub or pouch, with a scoop sized to the blend's bulk density. Our powder and drink mix manufacturing fills the same formula into single-serve sachets and stick packs for sampling, travel and subscription. Formats and combinations we develop:
- Classic and clear shakes: whey, casein or plant blends, and whey isolate in a light, juice-style drink.
- Protein with creatine: the authorised creatine claim needs 3 g a day; see our creatine supplement manufacturing.
- Protein with electrolytes: for training in the heat, using the sodium science behind our electrolyte and hydration supplements.
- Protein with fibre and micronutrients: nutrient-dense, smaller servings, which ingredient suppliers are now designing for people using GLP-1 medicines (Nutrition Insight, October 2026).
- Protein gummies: we make gummies in-house and assay every batch as standard; a serving carries a few grams of protein, and sugar dilutes the share of energy from protein that UK and EU claims measure.
We also make ready-to-drink shakes and protein bars in Leicester. Brands also ask us for pre-workout formulas to sit beside their protein range.
Filtered whey, extracted pea and allergen-coded weighing
Base proteins come from specialist processors. Whey is concentrated from cheese-making whey by membrane filtration, purified into isolate by further filtration or ion exchange, and spray-dried. Pea protein is extracted in alkaline water, precipitated at its isoelectric point, neutralised and spray-dried, and rice protein is released by enzymes that break down rice starch. Each lot arrives with a certificate of analysis from a supplier that has passed our supplier approval, reviewed annually.
- Specify. We agree protein content, amino acid targets, flavour, mixability, claims and shelf life with you.
- Weigh and dispense. Materials are weighed against the batch record under our allergen management plan, with yellow colour coding for allergens such as milk and soy.
- Sieve and premix. Sweeteners, flavours and micronutrients are premixed so they spread evenly through the protein.
- Blend. The batch blends for a set time and is checked for uniformity.
- Fill. Powder is filled by weight into tubs, pouches or sticks, with fill weights checked through the run and scoops sized to the bulk density.
- Seal and label. Packs are sealed and coded, and label verification on every batch is the critical control point in our HACCP plan.
- Release. Every batch is released by quality control against its specification, and nothing is dispatched without quality control sign-off.
Muscle claims, Kjeldahl protein and US Daily Values
UK and EU protein claims and allergens
As of October 2026, these rules shape protein powder labels:
- Three authorised function claims apply: protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass, to the maintenance of muscle mass and to the maintenance of normal bones. Each needs the product to be at least a source of protein, with 12% of its energy from protein; "high protein" needs 20% (GB nutrition and health claims register and the EU register).
- Label protein is total Kjeldahl nitrogen multiplied by 6.25, so a nitrogen result alone proves neither quality nor authenticity.
- Milk and soy are emphasised as allergens, and a gluten-free claim needs 20 mg/kg of gluten or less.
- Neither claims list includes protein quality, so DIAAS data supports formulation and trade documents, not pack claims.
We draft each market's label from one formula, with the protein declaration, allergen statements and authorised claims checked against the register before artwork is approved.
US Daily Values from PDCAAS-corrected protein
As of October 2026, a protein powder sells as a dietary supplement with Supplement Facts or as a conventional food with Nutrition Facts. A protein claim brings a percent Daily Value calculated from PDCAAS-corrected protein, and a "high" or "excellent source" claim needs at least 20% of the 50 g Daily Value. New York bans under-18 sales of supplements marketed for weight loss or muscle building, but protein powders are exempt unless another ingredient, such as creatine, brings them within the law. California's Proposition 65 requires a warning when lead exposure exceeds its safe harbour of 0.5 micrograms a day. We are an FDA registered food facility for dietary supplements.
Protein powder manufacturers should catch spiking with amino acid data
Ask any manufacturer how it proves protein, purity and safety. Every batch is tested by accredited partner laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025) as part of every order. The testing programme is set per product and market, with certificates of analysis you can share with retailers and marketplaces:
- Protein: Kjeldahl or Dumas nitrogen, plus an HPLC amino acid profile to catch spiking with cheap glycine or taurine.
- Heavy metals: lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by ICP-MS. As of October 2026, EU limits for food supplements are 3.0 mg/kg for lead, 1.0 mg/kg for cadmium and 0.10 mg/kg for mercury (Regulation (EU) 2023/915).
- Microbiology: total viable count, yeasts and moulds, Enterobacteriaceae and pathogens such as Salmonella.
- Allergens and physical checks: milk, soy and gluten wherever a claim depends on them; moisture, bulk density and mixability.
- Stability: protein, flavour, colour and mixability tracked over shelf life.
Our quality system adds a HACCP study per product type, reviewed annually; three retained samples per batch, kept for shelf life plus one year; and a full mock recall, forward and backward with mass balance, in seconds. Informed Sport, vegan, halal or kosher certification is arranged for your product. For retail buyers: BRCGS implementation under way, certification expected in early 2027. Our testing and batch release page sets out the full approach.
Development runs in stages: brief, evidence review, formulation, bench samples, blind sensory panels, a pilot batch, stability in the final pack and scale-up. You receive the formula, specifications, process summary, stability data, test reports and a claims review for each market. Research and development is a paid stage, and it can be included with an order of the right size. Send your brief through Start your project and we will come back with the protein system, the claims route and the testing plan for your powder.
References: FAO, Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition (2013); Mathai, Liu and Stein, British Journal of Nutrition (2017); Herreman and colleagues, Food Science and Nutrition (2020); Paul, Leser and Oesser, Nutrients (2019); Jäger and colleagues, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2017); Boirie and colleagues, PNAS (1997); Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (2012); Regulation (EU) 2023/915 (2023).
Where this is going
To 2030
Up: GLP-1 users, older adults and higher US dietary targets keep protein demand high, though protein-only positioning cools
To 2036
Flat to up: a baseline nutrient rather than a growth leader, with more diverse protein sources
What to watch
Whey cost swings as demand outruns supply (Vesper and USDA Dairy Market News, 2026), heavy-metal scrutiny of plant proteins, and fatigue with protein-focused eating
Questions brands ask
Which protein sources can you use in a custom protein powder?
We work with whey concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate, micellar casein and milk proteins, and plant proteins such as pea, brown rice, soy, oat and faba, alone or in blends. We choose the system for amino acid quality, taste, mixability, allergens and supply security. New sources, such as precision-fermented whey protein, need novel food authorisation in the UK and EU before they can be used there.
How do you make a plant protein powder match whey on quality?
We blend complementary proteins and check the result with amino acid data. Pea is low in sulphur amino acids and rice is low in lysine, so the right ratio lifts the blend's DIAAS. FAO bands rate a score of 100 or more as excellent and 75 to 99 as good. Whey carries more leucine per gram, so plant blends often use a larger serving or added leucine to match it.
What protein claims can we use in the UK and EU?
As of October 2026, three authorised function claims apply: protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass, to the maintenance of muscle mass and to the maintenance of normal bones. Each needs the product to be at least a source of protein, with 12% of its energy from protein, and a "high protein" claim needs 20%. Neither claims list includes protein quality, so DIAAS data stays in your formulation and trade documents.
How do you control heavy metals in plant protein powders?
We control them at the source and prove them by testing. Plants take up lead and cadmium from soil and water, and Consumer Reports' 2025 tests found plant-based products averaged nine times the lead of dairy-based ones, though industry bodies dispute its thresholds. We qualify suppliers on their data, test lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by ICP-MS through accredited partner laboratories, and work to EU supplement limits and California's Proposition 65 where you sell there.
How do you protect a protein powder from whey cost swings?
We design protein systems that do not rest on one commodity. Whey concentrate benchmarks hit new highs in May 2026 (Vesper), so we qualify more than one supplier, consider milk protein, casein or plant proteins in the blend, and document the specification so an alternative source can come in with the label and claims checked first. Single-serve sticks and smaller packs give your range more options.
Can you add creatine, fibre or electrolytes to a protein powder?
Yes, and each addition brings its own rules. The authorised creatine claim needs 3 g a day, fibre and vitamin claims need set amounts, and electrolyte salts change taste and moisture behaviour. In New York, protein powders are exempt from the under-18 sales restriction on muscle-building supplements, but adding creatine can bring a powder within it. We build every combination to each target market's rules from the first formula.
Who owns the formula for my protein powder?
You do. Your formula is yours: we develop and manufacture the powder for your brand, and the formula belongs to you. Research and development is a paid stage that can be included with an order of the right size, and the specification, supplier list and test plan are documented, so your team knows exactly what goes into every pack. Every batch also comes with its certificate of analysis.
Start your project
Tell us what you want to make. Every project starts with a conversation about your product, your customers and your markets.