How to read a protein powder label
Compare protein per 100 g, serving size, ingredients, allergens, sugar and cost per serving before you choose a protein powder. What India's food label rules require, and what they do not.
A plastic scoop sits on the kitchen scale. The display reads 30 g. The tub beside it says 24 g protein per serving.
So is the scoop 24 g of protein, or 30? And how do you compare this tub with one that uses a bigger scoop? The answers are in the small panel on the back of the pack.
First, check what kind of product it is
Some protein powders are sold as ordinary packed foods. Others are sold as a health supplement, or as a food for special dietary use. Those packs follow separate rules, and some do not need the standard nutrition panel.[1] So look on the label for these words before you use the checks below. The figures below are the rules for ordinary packed foods.
A scoop is not all protein
Start with 2 numbers on the nutrition panel: the serving size, and the protein in that serving. A label may give the protein in a serving. The rules require the per 100 g figure.[1]
Here is a made-up example. It is not a real product.
The other 6 g is not all sugar or filler. Depending on the product, it can be carbohydrate, fat, moisture, minerals, flavours and other ingredients. The full nutrition panel and the ingredient list show what it is.
Compare protein per 100 g
Brands choose their own serving size. One may use 30 g, another 40 g, so the protein per serving can mislead.
An ordinary packed food in India must give its nutrition values per 100 g or 100 ml, or for the whole pack if it is a single serving. The label must also show the serving size and the number of servings in the pack.[1]
Take 2 made-up products:
- Product A: 24 g of protein in a 30 g serving. That is 80 g per 100 g.
- Product B: 25 g of protein in a 40 g serving. That is 62.5 g per 100 g.
Product B gives a little more protein per serving. Product A is more concentrated. To choose, read the rest of the label too.
If a pack says high protein, the claim has a set meaning in India's food claim rules.[2] The protein per 100 g on the panel shows you how much.
Servings per pack and cost per serving
A bigger pack does not always hold more servings. A 300 g pack with a 30 g serving holds 10 servings. A 400 g pack with a 40 g serving also holds 10.
To compare prices, divide the pack price by the number of servings. For a made-up pack costing ₹1,200 with 10 servings, each serving costs ₹120. Compare protein per serving at the same time: a cheaper serving may also carry less protein.
Read the ingredient list
The front of a pack may say isolate, plant-based, natural or clean. The ingredient list says what is inside. Ingredients are listed from the largest to the smallest by weight, as they were when the product was made.[1] The list does not give percentages for most ingredients.[1]
Look for:
- The protein source: whey isolate, whey concentrate, soy, pea, rice, pumpkin seed, or a blend.
- Sweeteners: sugar, or a sweetener such as sucralose.
- Flavours: cocoa, vanilla and flavourings.
- Emulsifiers: such as lecithin, which help the powder mix.
- Other additions: fibre, enzymes, vitamins or minerals.
Additives are listed by their purpose, with their name or INS number.[1] A short list is not automatically better. If you do not know an ingredient, look up its INS number or ask your dietitian.
Check the allergen line
The label must name certain allergens on a separate "Contains" line. The list includes milk and soy.[1] A whey powder must say "Contains Milk", and a soy powder "Contains Soy".
A "May contain" line is for possible traces from cross-contamination, and it is optional.[1] A missing line does not rule out traces. Pea and rice are not on the list of allergens that must be declared, so read the ingredient list as well.
If you have a food allergy, check the exact product and flavour. Another flavour may use a different recipe. Ask your doctor if you are unsure.
No added sugar is not the same as sugar-free
India's food claim rules define each term.
Sugar-free means not more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g of a solid food.[2]
No added sugar means no sugars, and no ingredients containing sugars, were added. If the food still has sugars that occur naturally, the label must say "Contains naturally occurring sugars".[2] Whey, for example, can carry lactose, the natural sugar in milk.
No added sugar does not mean no sweetener. Some sweeteners must be declared in a box on the label.[1] If you need to watch sugar, read the total and added sugars on the panel and the sweeteners in the ingredient list.
Check the brand, the batch and the dates
The label must show:[1]
- the brand owner's name and address, with words such as "Mfd by" or "Mkt by"
- the FSSAI logo and the brand owner's licence number
- a batch or lot number
- the date of manufacture or packing, and the expiry or use-by date
"Best before" is optional. It is about quality. "Use by" or expiry is about safety.[1] Storage instructions must be given when the date depends on them.[1]
The FSSAI logo and licence number identify the licensed business. Brands may not use them to promote a product.[2]
When you buy online, the listing must show the label information before you buy. Batch numbers and dates are not included in that rule, so check them on the pack when it arrives.[1]
Question the claims
The front of a pack may say "third-party tested", "clean", "complete protein" or "supports muscle". Some of these describe what is in the powder. Others describe testing, or an effect on the body.
No label may say or suggest that doctors or nutrition professionals recommend the food.[2] If a brand publishes a test report, match it to your pack: the same product, flavour and batch.
Your label checklist
Keep this list open while you shop.
Before you buy a protein powder
Whether you need one at all
India's dietary guidelines say to get protein from food. They advise against protein supplements for building muscle.[3] A label tells you what is in a powder. It cannot tell you whether you need one. Our article on whey and plant protein starts with that question.
The scale still reads 30 g. The tub goes back on the shelf, its label facing out.
Speak to your doctor or dietitian before using a protein supplement if you:
- have a milk or other food allergy
- have kidney or liver disease, or diabetes
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
- take a medicine that reduces your appetite
- have been told to limit protein
- are buying it for a child
Compare the protein per 100 g, which ordinary packed foods in India must show. Then check the serving size, the ingredients, the allergen line and the cost of each serving.
No. For an ordinary packed food, sugar-free means not more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. No added sugar means no sugars or sugary ingredients were added, but the powder can still contain natural sugars, such as the lactose in whey.
No. A scoop of powder also holds carbohydrate, fat, moisture, flavours and other ingredients. Read the protein figure on the nutrition panel.
Sources
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020: Compendium Version-VIII. New Delhi: FSSAI; 2025 Sep 9. Available from: fssai.gov.inCited atReg 5(3)(c)(xiii), p. 12Reg 5(3)(b), pp. 10-11Reg 5(3)(b), pp. 10-11Reg 5(2)(b), p. 5Reg 5(2)(g), p. 8Reg 5(5), pp. 14-15Reg 5(14), pp. 18-19Reg 5(14), pp. 18-19Schedule II, para 1(4), pp. 31-32Reg 5(6), 5(7), 5(9), 5(10), pp. 15-17Reg 2(1)(c), 2(1)(u), pp. 1, 3; 5(10)(a), p. 16Reg 5(10)(c), p. 17Reg 4(2), p. 4
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018: Compendium Version-IV. New Delhi: FSSAI; 2022 Dec 14. Available from: fssai.gov.inCited atSchedule I, row 11, p. 9Schedule I, row 10, p. 9Reg 6(1), p. 4Reg 4(9), p. 3Reg 10(2), p. 6
- ICMR-NIN Expert Committee. Dietary Guidelines for Indians - 2024. Hyderabad: ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition; 2024. Available from: nin.res.inCited atpp. 57, 61, Guideline 8