No Whey? Way.

Whey is in such high demand and short supply that it’s a good time to run a company that can extract protein from just about anything else. “For decades, whey has reigned supreme among the added protein in packaged foods or athletes’ shakes, thanks to its dissolvability, digestibility and sheer ubiquity. (Nearly 7 million tons of whey, a natural byproduct of cheesemaking, is churned out every year in the US alone.) But with diners wanting protein in almost everything they consume, from tortilla chips to cold brew, demand is outpacing supply, driving shortages and pushing up prices. That has opened the door for smaller startups trying to extract the macronutrient from other sources.” Startups Race to Cash In on Gold Rush Sparked by Whey Protein Shortage. (I was working on a plan to include protein with each edition of NextDraft, but I decided to work on including Xanax instead. Seems both more pressing and more on brand…)