Fact Check: Insta post on preparation of protein powder is misleading
Protein is one of the building blocks of bones, muscles, and skin. The body needs proteins to produce hormones,
Claim :
Protein powders sold in the market are being prepared using wormsFact :
A majority of the protein powders available in the market are made from whey, not worms
Protein is one of the building blocks of bones, muscles, and skin. The body needs proteins to produce hormones, enzymes, etc. Nowadays, several athletes as well as fitness enthusiasts are using protein supplements to build muscle and stay fit. Protein powders are nutritional supplements that may build muscle, repair tissue, and build enzymes and hormones. Intake of protein powders may also help in weight loss and toning of muscles. There are different protein powders available in the market, some are dairy-based while some are plant-based.
Meanwhile, an Instagram post sharing a detailed video claims that it shows the original procedure used by the manufacturers of protein powders. The video shows small light brown colored worms being crushed and powdered. Then the dry powder is mixed into milk, ready for consumption. The video is shared with the caption:
“Protein తయారు చేసే విధానం #
Fact Check:
The claim is Misleading. The video shows the preparation of protein powder from mealworms.
Firstly, when we searched for information about protein supplements, we found that a majority of the protein supplements sold in the market are whey protein. Whey protein is the protein extracted from whey, the watery portion of milk that separates from the curd when making cheese. It is the most common protein supplement. People commonly use whey protein to improve athletic performance and increase strength. It is used for diabetes, asthma, weight loss, etc.
The preparation of whey protein begins with cow milk, as it contains two main proteins, casein and whey. Around 200L of milk is needed to produce 1 kg of whey protein powder and approximately, 100L of milk produces about 12 kg of Cheese. The common types of protein powders include – Whey, Casein, Soy, and Hemp. While whey and casein are dairy-based, soy and hemp are plant-based.
When we extracted the keyframes from the viral video and searched using Google reverse image search, we found a longer video published by a YouTube channel named King Food. The 11-minute video is shared with the title “This is a protein thug! Future Food Edible Insect, Mealworm / Korean food factory”.
The protein powder made from worms is sold with names like ‘High protein mealworm powder’. Or as ‘55% Indian Promeal's Dried Mealworm Powder/ Insectmeal High protein powder’. Live mealworms are also sold online as feed for birds and other pet animals.
Though the video shared by the Instagram user shows the original process of preparation of mealworm powder, it is not regularly available in the stores. The regular protein supplement available in the stores is whey protein, which is extracted from cow’s milk. Hence, the claim that the video shows regular protein supplements found in the market is Misleading. It is a special process used to extract protein from insects named mealworms.
