Yes. All high protein powders experience degrading chemical reactions as they age. When MPC/MPI powder ages, reactions such as residual fat hydrolysis, loss of solubility, and Maillard browning will continually progress. These chemical reactions are fueled by the concentration of the milk proteins in close proximity with milk minerals and remaining sugar as well as residual lipolytic and proteolytic activity. Such reactions have a negative effect on protein powder properties. For example, the Maillard Reaction, or sometimes it is more commonly known as the Maillard Browning Reaction, is a chemical reaction between an amino acid (or hydrolyzed protein peptides) and a reducing sugar (in the case of milk, lactose). The two molecules form a new compound that is significantly altered from a simple amino acid and a simple sugar. The new compound may exhibit lower water solubility than either of the two chemicals separately. The new compound may also impart a new flavor and in many cases, the new flavor can be overpowering.There are also numerous studies that show that MPC/MPI powders lose solubility in storage. The leading theory is that calcium and phosphorous in the MPC/MPI powder will react with the proteins and cause a loss of protein solubility. In addition, dairy powders contain residual levels of native milk enzymes. These enzymes will, over time, hydrolyze fat and protein in powders and can cause formation of bitter fatty acids and/or bitter protein peptides. The newly formed fatty acids and peptides will detract from the fresh, bland flavor of the powder and could even affect overall protein solubility.

It is important to utilize the freshest MPC/MPI powders available to ensure that your products will have maximum shelf life. Most MPC powders sold in the USA are manufactured overseas. By the time these powders clear US ports, they are months old. Idaho Milk Products manufactures IdaPro® MPC/MPI powders domestically and on a make-to-order basis. IdaPro® MPC/MPI powders can be delivered anywhere within North America within weeks of manufacture, thus ensuring that your food products will exhibit the best sensory, solubility, and maximum shelf life properties. These properties are very important in ingredient sensitive applications such as Ready-to-Drink protein beverages. In such applications, the solubility of the protein will affect shelf stability (beverage gelling or clotting) and the MPC/MPI flavor will affect how much flavor and what type of flavor needs to be added to manufacture a pleasant tasting consumer product. Fresh MPC/MPI powders are essential ingredients for manufacturing the best Ready-to-Drink clinical, adult, and active nutrition protein beverages. IdaPro® MPC/MPI powders are the freshest available in North America.