Glossary · 58 terms
The words on a protein and probiotic quotation.
What WPC80, instantised, FSSC 22000, CoA, CFU, overage and Incoterms mean when you buy whey or milk protein, probiotic cultures or a postbiotic in bulk. Short definitions, written for brands and product developers, with the page to read next.
How to use it
Each term links to its own anchor, so you can send a colleague straight to one definition. The figures in grade names (WPC80, WPI90, MPC85) are the nominal protein content of that category of ingredient; the specification of the lot we offer you is sent after a short review of your project, with the quotation.
01 · Whey and milk proteins
From whey to grade name.
The ingredient terms, in the order a buyer meets them.
- Whey
- The liquid left when milk is coagulated into cheese or casein. It carries the whey proteins (beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin and others), lactose and minerals. Most whey protein ingredients come from sweet whey.
- Whey protein
- The protein fraction of whey, concentrated by membrane filtration and spray-dried into a powder. It is sold as concentrate (WPC), isolate (WPI) or hydrolysate (WPH), and as instant or regular powders. Overview: whey protein grades.
- WPC (whey protein concentrate)
- Whey protein concentrated by ultrafiltration. The number in the grade name states the nominal protein content on a dry basis; WPC80 is the standard grade for protein powders. A concentrate keeps some lactose and milk fat, which gives it a creamy taste and a lower cost per kilogram of protein than an isolate.
- WPC80
- The whey protein concentrate most shakes are built on. As an instant grade it disperses in cold water; as a regular grade it goes into blends and food production. Grade page: WPC80 Instant.
- WPI (whey protein isolate)
- Whey protein taken a step further by microfiltration or ion exchange, with most lactose and fat removed. The nominal protein content in the name is 90. Lighter in the mouth and lower in lactose than a concentrate. Grade page: WPI90 Instant.
- Clear whey (acid-stable WPI)
- A whey protein isolate processed to stay dissolved and transparent at the low pH of juice-style drinks and protein water. Standard isolates turn cloudy and grainy in this application; a clear grade is made for it. Page: clear whey protein isolate.
- WPH (whey protein hydrolysate)
- Whey protein that has been partly broken down by enzymes into shorter peptides. Used in medical, infant and some sports nutrition. Hydrolysates taste more bitter the further they are hydrolysed and cost more than the intact protein.
- Instantised (instant)
- A powder agglomerated with a small amount of lecithin, usually sunflower lecithin, so the particles wet and disperse in cold water without lumps. An instant grade is what a consumer shake needs; the lecithin and the process add to the cost.
- Regular (non-instant)
- The same protein without agglomeration. Cheaper per kilogram, but it needs mechanical mixing or a wet process. The right grade for bakery, bars, blends and industrial recipes where the powder is worked into a formulation.
- Sweet whey and acid whey
- Sweet whey comes from rennet cheeses such as Gouda, Emmental or cheddar; acid whey from cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and acid casein. Sweet whey is the usual raw material for WPC and WPI, which is why cheese production decides whey protein supply.
- Sweet whey powder (SWP)
- Whole whey, dried. It is mostly lactose with roughly a tenth protein, used in bakery, confectionery and feed. Its price is a published commodity index, and it moves differently from WPC80 or WPI; the two should not be confused when reading the whey price report.
- MPC (milk protein concentrate)
- Protein concentrated from skim milk by ultrafiltration, so it keeps casein and whey protein in the natural milk ratio of about 80:20. The casein binds water and builds texture, which makes MPC the grade for bars, puddings, yogurts and thick shakes. Page: MPC grades.
- MPI (milk protein isolate)
- A milk protein concentrate filtered to a higher protein content, with less lactose and minerals. MPI90 suits ready-to-drink and ready-to-mix bases; a lactose-free MPI serves lactose-restricted recipes. Page: MPI grades.
- Casein and micellar casein
- The main protein of milk, about four fifths of it. Casein forms micelles that give milk its white colour, bind water and digest slowly. Micellar casein is casein isolated gently by filtration; caseinates are casein dissolved with an alkali. Both are thick in water.
- Lactose-free
- A dairy protein in which the lactose has been removed by filtration or split by the enzyme lactase, down to a limit stated in the specification. The limit, not the word, is what a lactose-free claim on the finished product depends on. Which grade: grade finder.
- Protein as-is and on dry basis
- A powder contains a few percent water. “Dry basis” states the protein content without that water; “as-is” is what the bag delivers. This is why a 90% isolate on a dry basis gives less than 90 g of protein per 100 g on your label.
- Nitrogen factor (N × 6.38)
- Laboratories measure nitrogen, not protein, and multiply by a factor. For dairy proteins the factor is 6.38; for most other foods it is 6.25. A protein figure is only comparable when the factor is known, so it belongs on the specification.
- PDCAAS and DIAAS
- Two scores for protein quality: the amino acid pattern compared with human needs, corrected for digestibility. Whey and milk proteins score at the top of both scales, which is why they are the reference proteins in sports and clinical nutrition.
- BCAA and leucine
- The branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. Whey protein is naturally rich in them, leucine in particular. In the EU, the amino acid profile can be stated on the label, but health claims about amino acids need an authorised wording.
- Goat milk protein
- The same families of ingredients made from goat milk: goat WPC, goat MPC, instant goat protein and goat milk powders. Produced in far smaller volumes than cow-milk proteins, with their own supply logic. Page: goat milk protein.
02 · Quality and documents
What arrives with the pallet.
The documents and certificates a buyer should expect, and what each one proves.
- Specification (spec sheet, TDS)
- The document that fixes what an ingredient is: composition, microbiological limits, physical properties, allergens, shelf life and storage. We send it after a short review of your project, with the quotation; it is the basis of the purchase contract and of every later Certificate of Analysis.
- Certificate of Analysis (CoA)
- The test results of one specific batch, checked against the specification and signed by the producer’s laboratory. Every delivery from NLS comes with the CoA of the batches in it. A CoA is for one lot; it is not a specification.
- Lot, batch and traceability
- A lot is the quantity produced under one set of conditions and tested together; its number is printed on every bag. Traceability means that lot number leads back to the dairy, the production date and the milk intake, and forward to the customer it was shipped to.
- FSSC 22000 and ISO 22000
- Food-safety management standards for producers. ISO 22000 is the base standard; FSSC 22000 adds prerequisite programmes and is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which is what large retailers and brands ask for. Our whey and milk proteins come from FSSC 22000-certified EU dairies.
- GMP and HACCP
- Good Manufacturing Practice: the documented rules a site works to. HACCP: the hazard analysis that identifies critical control points in a process. Both are required at the sites where finished supplements are made; certification by a third party is the evidence.
- Halal and kosher
- Certification that an ingredient and its production meet religious dietary rules, issued by a recognised certification body per site and product. Whey proteins are available in halal grades, which matters for the Gulf and for many European brands. Page: Gulf and MENA export.
- Allergen declaration
- Milk is one of the 14 allergens in Annex II of EU Regulation 1169/2011, so every dairy protein must be declared on the label. The declaration document also states which other allergens are handled at the site and whether cross-contact is possible.
- GMO statement
- A producer’s written confirmation that an ingredient is not genetically modified and needs no GMO labelling under EU Regulations 1829/2003 and 1830/2003. For dairy proteins this concerns the ingredient itself; feed given to the cows is a separate question answered by specific labels such as “Ohne Gentechnik”.
- Shelf life and storage
- The period over which an ingredient stays within its specification, under the stated storage conditions: dry, cool and away from light for protein powders; frozen or chilled for most live probiotic cultures. Shelf life runs from the production date, not the delivery date, so ask for the remaining shelf life on offer.
- Water activity (aw)
- The free water available to microorganisms, on a scale from 0 to 1. Protein powders and freeze-dried cultures are kept at low water activity; for probiotics it is one of the main levers for keeping the live count over shelf life, and the limit is written into the specification.
- Sample and bench test
- A small quantity of the offered lot for your own laboratory or pilot kitchen. A sample confirms taste, solubility and behaviour in your recipe before the pallet is ordered. Samples are tied to a quotation; the batch delivered later matches the same specification.
- Audit file
- The set of documents a brand needs to show its own auditor or customer: specification, CoAs, certificates of the site, allergen and GMO statements, traceability records. We prepare it per product so that it is ready before the first delivery.
03 · Trade and logistics
The terms on the quotation.
Quantities, prices and delivery terms, explained the way we use them.
- MOQ (minimum order quantity)
- The smallest order a supplier accepts. For pure whey and milk proteins from NLS it is 300 kg, in 15 or 20 kg bags; for probiotic cultures 10 kg per strain or blend; for finished private-label products 500 units per SKU in sports nutrition and 60,000 capsules or 300,000 stick sachets in probiotics.
- Pallet
- The standard unit of dairy protein logistics: 40 bags of 20 kg, 800 kg per pallet, shrink-wrapped on a Euro pallet. One pallet is our standard first order; a full truck takes about 30 pallets, around 24 tonnes. Smaller orders ship as part pallets by groupage.
- Bulk, private label and white label
- Bulk means the ingredient itself, in bags, for your own production. Private label is a finished product made to your recipe and brand. White label is a finished standard product that several brands sell under their own names. NLS supplies pure proteins in bulk and sports nutrition and probiotics as private label.
- Allocation
- The monthly volume a dairy commits to a buyer. When demand exceeds supply, as for whey protein in 2026, available tonnes are allocated rather than sold on request. A confirmed allocation is the difference between a quotation and a delivery, which is why we ask for the month you need.
- Spot price and contract price
- Spot is the price for a lot available now; a contract fixes price and volume for several months or a year. In a falling market spot is cheaper than old contracts; in a rising market contracts protect the buyer. Current levels and drivers: whey protein price 2026.
- Reference date
- The date on a quotation that states which market price the offer was calculated on. Because whey and milk protein prices move monthly, an offer without a reference date cannot be compared with another. Every NLS quotation carries one, and a deposit fixes the price.
- Incoterms (EXW, FCA, DAP, CIF)
- The international rules that define who pays for and insures transport, and where risk passes. EXW: you collect at the warehouse. FCA: handed to your carrier. DAP: delivered to your address, duties unpaid. CIF/CFR: sea freight to the port of destination, used for Gulf shipments. The Incoterm is part of the price.
- Proforma invoice and prepayment
- A proforma invoice states goods, quantity, price and terms before shipment and is the basis for payment. First orders at NLS are paid in full against the proforma; later orders can move to agreed payment terms.
- EORI number
- The Economic Operators Registration and Identification number every company needs for customs declarations in the EU. Required on export documents to the UK, the Gulf and other non-EU markets. Ours is verifiable on the company and compliance page.
- Contract manufacturing (CMO, CDMO)
- Production of a finished product by a specialised manufacturer for a brand. A CDMO also develops the formulation. In our model one project owner handles sourcing, formulation, production, quality release and shipment. Page: supplement contract manufacturer.
- Lead time
- The time from order confirmation to goods ready for collection. Whey proteins depend on the monthly allocation; freeze-dried probiotic cultures take 3 to 5 weeks, strains in stock less; a first production run of a finished product takes 8 to 10 weeks from the brief, repeat orders 6 to 8.
04 · Probiotics and postbiotics
Live counts, spores and inactivated cultures.
The terms behind a probiotic or postbiotic specification.
- Probiotic
- Defined by FAO and WHO as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. On EU labels the word itself is treated as a health claim in most member states, so products are usually described by their strains and live count. Page: probiotic manufacturing.
- Strain
- A specific isolate of a species, named genus, species and strain code, for example Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG. Documentation, stability and published data belong to the strain, not to the species, so a specification names the strain. Catalogue: 41 documented strains.
- CFU (colony-forming units)
- The count of viable cells that grow into colonies on a culture plate, stated per gram of powder or per dose. Bulk cultures are specified in CFU per gram; finished products in CFU per capsule or sachet at the end of shelf life.
- Overage
- The extra live cells added at production so that the declared count still holds at the end of shelf life, after the normal loss in storage. Overage is calculated from the strain’s stability data, the format, the water activity and the packaging, and it is agreed in the specification before production.
- Freeze-dried (lyophilised) cultures
- Live bacteria dried under vacuum from the frozen state, which preserves viability. Supplied as a powder in aluminium bags, stored cold, and blended with a carrier to the declared count. Page: probiotic cultures in bulk.
- Spore-forming Bacillus strains
- Strains such as Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis form spores that tolerate heat, pressure and low pH. That lets them survive processes that kill other cultures, so they are the live option for baked goods, hot-filled drinks, gummies and tablets.
- Saccharomyces boulardii
- A probiotic yeast, not a bacterium. Supplied freeze-dried for capsules and sachets, and specified in CFU like bacterial strains.
- Postbiotic
- Defined by ISAPP in 2021 as a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host. Postbiotics are inactivated, so they need no cold chain and survive processes live cultures do not. Guide: postbiotic ingredients; our ingredient: MaestroBiome 01.
- Inactivated and tyndallised
- Inactivated means the microorganisms are no longer alive; the method can be heat, pressure or other processes. Tyndallisation is one specific heat treatment, repeated in cycles. A postbiotic is specified by its inactivation method and the quantity of cells or biomass, not in CFU.
- Prebiotic and synbiotic
- A prebiotic is a substrate, usually a fibre such as inulin or GOS, that is used selectively by microorganisms. A synbiotic combines a probiotic with a prebiotic in one product. Both are formulation choices that change the stick or capsule fill, not the strain.
- Delayed-release capsule
- A capsule shell that resists stomach acid and opens later in the digestive tract. Used for acid-sensitive strains; it adds to the capsule cost and changes the stability profile, so it is decided with the overage. Formats: supplement formats.
- Stick sachet
- A narrow single-dose sachet of powder, usually 1 to 5 g, that is taken directly or stirred into water. Low water activity and a good barrier film make it a stable format for probiotics; our minimum is 300,000 sticks per run.
- QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety)
- EFSA’s list of microorganisms with a documented history of safe use in food. A species on the QPS list needs no further safety assessment for use in the EU; strains outside it may fall under the novel-food rules.
- Novel food
- Under EU Regulation 2015/2283, a food or ingredient not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before May 1997 needs authorisation before sale. Relevant for new strains, new postbiotic preparations and some protein sources. Guide: launching a supplement in the EU.
- Health claim
- Any statement that links a food or ingredient to health. In the EU only claims authorised under Regulation 1924/2006 and listed in Regulation 432/2012 may be used; protein has several authorised claims; probiotic strains and postbiotics have none so far, apart from the claim for live yogurt cultures and lactose digestion. Labels therefore describe, they do not promise.
A term missing?
Ask about a termWrite to us with the word and the context, and we add it. For the figures behind these terms, the grade finder names your grade and the quotation brings the specification.