Whey Protein Shortage: What’s Happening at HelloAmino (Behind the Scenes)
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About a month ago, we got a heads up that made our stomach drop a little.
There’s a global shortage on whey protein isolate and if you’ve been paying attention, it makes sense.
Our category has exploded over the last 6–12 months.
When we started HelloAmino back in 2021, protein wasn’t exactly “on trend.” We were early. We were also the first to bring protein tea lattes to market.
Now protein is everywhere.
Even Starbucks stepped into the space.
And when brands at that level enter a category, it doesn’t just grow… it surges.
Let’s pull back the curtain for a second
Because this is the part most people don’t see.
Whey protein isn’t something you can just decide to make more of.
It’s actually a byproduct of cheese production.
Which means you don’t get more whey unless you make more cheese.
And you can’t just ramp up cheese production overnight to meet protein demand without completely throwing off the balance of the dairy industry.
So whey supply is naturally capped by how much cheese is being made… not how much protein the market suddenly wants.
Now layer in what’s happening globally:
Demand has skyrocketed and supply can’t keep up.
Plus in Canada, there are regulations on how much whey can be imported — while very little is produced domestically.
So smaller brands like ours feel it fast.
Where that leaves us
At first, it was tighter supply.
Then it was delays and now we’ve been fully cut off from the protein we’ve built our baking mixes on for the last 5 years.
Not exactly the blog we ever thought we’d be writing.
But if there’s one thing this past week made very clear, it’s that we’re not navigating this alone and that matters more than we can put into words.
So what happens now?
We rebuild.
Our baking mixes will be reformulated from the ground up.
Which means over the next few weeks:
- Inventory will be in and out
- Some mixes will sell out and won’t be restocked in their current form
- We’ll be prioritizing our most popular products while supply lasts
Not because we’re going anywhere.
But because we’re making sure what comes back is right.
The small wins we’re holding onto
Not everything is up in the air.
Our coffee, tea lattes, creamers and icing will still be here.
Still part of your routine.
Still part of ours.
And that little bit of normal right now means more than we expected.
What we’re working toward
Behind the scenes, we’re:
- Securing new protein
- Testing new formulations
- Rebuilding our baking mixes properly (not rushed, not “good enough”)
We’re expecting new protein to arrive soon, which will:
- Stabilize our beverage inventory
- Bring back our protein cocoa to everyone
- Allow us to restock our icing (no reformulation needed 🙌)
What this means for you
If you see your favourite in stock, this is your window.
If it’s sold out, use “notify me” — we’ll bring back what we can while we transition.
The part that matters most
We started HelloAmino thinking we were just creating better protein mixes.
We didn’t realize we were building a community like this.
This moment could have gone very differently.
But because of you… it didn’t.
We’re still here.
We’re still building.
And we’re going to come out of this stronger than ever.
So if you’re here right now you’re part of the rebuild 🤍
And if things take a little longer than usual right now thank you for your patience. Truly.
How you can support (and be part of this)
We’ve had so many messages asking how you can support us right now… and honestly, that means more than you know.
If you do want to help, here are a few simple ways:
Keep us part of your routine ☕️
Our coffee, creamers, tea lattes, and cocoa are still here and every order right now goes a long way in helping us navigate this rebuild.
Spread the word
Share us with a friend, post your favourite mix, send someone our way… it all matters more than you think. Word of mouth has always been the core of how we've grown.
Support at checkout (if you want to)
You’ll see an option at checkout to contribute toward our rebuild. There’s absolutely no expectation but it’s there for those who have asked how they can go a step further.
Stay close
We’re working on another way to support that feels aligned with what we’re building… so keep following along. We’ll share more soon.
xo Aelie & Mclain
