USDA Specifications for 

Dry Whey Protein 

Concentrate 

Effective April 18, 2003

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Agricultural 

Marketing 

Service 

Dairy 

Programs 
 1 April 18, 2003 

USDA Specifications for Dry Whey Protein Concentrate 1 

1.0 Scope 

 The USDA Specifications for Dry Whey Protein Concentrate includes Dry Whey 

Protein Concentrate containing 25 % to 89.9 % protein. 

2.0 Plant Requirements 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall be manufactured and packaged in plants 

inspected by the AMS, Dairy Grading Branch and eligible for listing in the “Dairy 

Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service” publication. 

3.0 Regulatory 

 Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall comply with all applicable Federal 

regulations including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulations 

contained in 21 CFR Part 184.1979c for Whey Protein Concentrate. 

4.0 Composition Requirements 

Protein Content 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall contain not less than 25 percent or more than 

89.9 percent protein. 

Note: The percent of protein shall be declared on the label of the package. 

The percent protein may be the actual percent protein in the product or 

may be declared in 5 % increments (expressed as multiples of 5), provided 

the declared percent protein is not greater than the actual protein content. 

Milkfat 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall contain not more than 10 percent milkfat. 

Moisture 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall contain not more than 5.0 percent moisture. 

 

1 Compliance with these specifications does not excuse failure to comply with the provisions of the Federal 

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. 
 2 April 18, 2003 

pH 

 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall not have a pH exceeding 7.0. 

5.0 Quality Requirements

Flavor 

Reconstituted Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall have a bland, clean, flavor free 

from undesirable flavors but may possess the following flavors to a slight degree: 

sweet, acid, bitter, and utensil; and the following flavors to a definite degree: 

feed and weedy. It shall not possess objectionable flavors such as fermented, 

sour, chalky, lipase, or chemical. 

Physical Appearance 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall possess uniform white to light cream color. 

It shall be reasonably free flowing, free from lumps except those that readily 

break up with slight pressure and be practically free from visible dark particles. It 

shall be free from foreign material. 

Scorched particles content 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate shall contain not more than 15.0 mg. scorched 

particles. 

6.0 Microbial Requirements 

Bacterial Estimate – not more than 30,000 per gram standard plate count. 

Coliform count – not more than 10 coliforms per gram. 

7.0 Test Methods

All test methods, except the methods for determining scorched particles content 

and flavor, shall be made in accordance with test methods published in the latest 

revision of the “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official 

Analytical Chemists,” methods published in the latest revision of “Standard 

Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products,” or methods published by the 

International Dairy Federation. The scorched particle content and flavor shall be 

determined by the methods contained in the latest revision of 918-RL, Laboratory 

Methods and Procedures, USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs, Dairy Grading Branch. 
 3 April 18, 2003 

8.0 Official Identification 

Dry Whey Protein Concentrate that is officially inspected and found to meet these 

requirements may be identified with the official USDA Quality Approved 

Inspection Shield.