# Food companies turn to yeast protein as whey prices surge 2026-10-03T06:26:20+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has launched Horlicks Protein in ready-to-drink and powder formats, using fermented yeast protein instead of whey. The move comes as whey protein powder prices have risen to over Rs 4,500 a kg from around Rs 1,000 in 2023, driven by supply constraints and India's dependence on imported whey. India's protein supplements market was valued at Rs 7,461 crore in 2024 and is projected to reach Rs 13,186 crore by 2033, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation. Average daily protein intake in India is 47g per person, below the ICMR-recommended 60g. HUL joins Marico's Cosmix and Ranveer Singh-backed SuperYou in offering yeast-based protein, which avoids lactose issues and offers a middle ground between dairy and plant proteins. Yeast protein prices have risen 20% over the past six months, and SuperYou said domestic manufacturing has yet to scale up significantly. HUL's protein powder sachets are priced at around Rs 83 per serving and its ready-to-drink shake at Rs 120. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Livemint and Hindustan Times both report the same facts on HUL's entry and the market shift to yeast protein, with near-identical figures on whey price increases and market size. Livemint adds more detail on supply chain constraints and the cost pressure on yeast protein itself, including SuperYou's comment that domestic production has not scaled. Hindustan Times covers the same key points more concisely. The coverage is uniform straight reporting, no outlet adopts a critical or advocacy stance. The next step for the industry will be whether domestic yeast protein production can scale to meet growing demand without further price rises. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - livemint.com (neutral report) Straight news agency style with detailed market figures - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Straight news agency style reporting, no discernible slant This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Hindustan Unilever, Horlicks, Marico, Ranveer Singh, SuperYou Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/food-companies-turn-to-yeast-protein-as-whey-prices-surge/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/food-companies-turn-to-yeast-protein-as-whey-prices-surge/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/