DCA Market Intelligence launches new price benchmarks for Europe’s fast-growing whey protein market

DCA Market Intelligence has launched two new weekly benchmark prices for the European dairy ingredients market: Whey Protein Concentrate 80 (WPC80) and Whey Protein Isolate 90 (WPI90). The new benchmarks are being introduced at a time when whey protein markets are attracting increased attention across the dairy supply chain. 

Demand for WPC80 remains strong, prices have continued to rise, and buyers in many cases are also facing longer lead times. Producers, for their part, sometimes have to take precautions against overselling. Against that background, the need for reliable and broadly supported benchmark prices has become more urgent.

WPC80 leads market rally as demand outpaces supply
In the latest assessment on Wednesday 8 april, WPC80 was priced at €20,250 per metric tonne, while WPI90 was assessed at €25,750 per metric tonne. The benchmarks reflect prevailing price levels for whey protein powders traded within the European market.

Market prices continue to trend upwards, particularly for WPC80. WPI90 is lagging somewhat, as demand is primarily focused on WPC80, which is also the preferred product for dairies due to its higher value per unit. Overall demand remains stronger than supply, driven by the increasing use of high whey protein content in a growing range of products.

At the same time, companies are actively working to expand the global market for whey proteins, for example by targeting growth opportunities in China. The broader trend towards high-protein products is further supported by the rise of GLP-1 related dietary shifts.

“With the introduction of our WPC80 and WPI90 benchmarks, we are responding directly to demand from the market for reliable and widely supported price references, while also giving the fast-growing dairy protein segment a clear place within our dairy portfolio, which now consists of 36 dairy benchmarks,” said Eric de Lijster, Head of PRA at DCA Market Intelligence.

Growing relevance of whey proteins in dairy ingredients
Whey proteins have become increasingly important ingredients in sports nutrition, functional foods, beverages and clinical nutrition. Consumer interest in high-protein products continues to support market growth, and the number of products incorporating high-quality protein is steadily increasing.

Within that broader trend, WPC80 has developed into the more active benchmark market. WPI90 remains an important product for specific applications, but market activity is more limited. In practice, WPI90 is often produced on demand and typically trades at a premium linked to WPC80 market levels. The WPC80 benchmark reflects whey protein concentrate with a minimum protein content of 80% on a dry matter basis. The WPI90 benchmark reflects whey protein isolate with a minimum protein content of 90%. Both products are widely traded dairy ingredients used across a broad range of food, beverage and nutrition applications.

The new benchmarks are supported by a broad panel of price contributors across six North-West European markets, reflecting the core trading area for these products in Europe. This wide market participation supports the representativeness and robustness of the weekly price assessments.

The benchmarks are published every Wednesday at 15:30 CET on the DCA Market Intelligence Dairy Platform. For more information on the methodology and product specifications, please visit our website.