Protein Ingredient Checker

What we check for, A to Z

Every ingredient on this list is approved for use. Red marks something we choose to leave out of Kultra; amber is worth knowing about.

• Acesulfame KE950

  An artificial sweetener, usually blended with sucralose to mask each one's aftertaste. Approved by regulators. Most of the gut-bacteria research is in animals, so human evidence is limited either way, and the WHO's 2023 guidance advises against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control. Also listed as: acesulfame potassium, ace-k, acesulfame
• Allura redE129

  A synthetic red colour. It's one of the six colours from the Southampton study, so UK foods containing it must carry the warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. Also listed as: allura red ac
• Artificial flavouring

  Flavour compounds made to imitate the real thing. Approved and widely used. The honest objection isn't safety, it's opacity: one word on a label can cover a long recipe you can't see. Also listed as: artificial flavour, artificial flavor, artificial flavoring, artificial flavours
• AspartameE951

  An artificial sweetener. In 2023 the WHO's cancer agency (IARC) classed it as possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B), while the WHO's food additives committee left the acceptable daily intake unchanged. It contains a source of phenylalanine, so it isn't suitable for people with PKU.
• Caramel colour (class IV)E150d

  Brown colouring made with ammonium sulphite. It can contain traces of 4-MEI, which IARC classes as possibly carcinogenic. Regulators consider normal intakes safe; it's there for looks, not for you. Also listed as: sulphite ammonia caramel, ammonia sulphite caramel
• CarmoisineE122

  A synthetic red colour from the Southampton study. UK foods containing it must carry the warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. Also listed as: azorubine
• CarrageenanE407

  A thickener from red seaweed, used for a creamy mouthfeel. Food-grade carrageenan is approved; the alarming studies mostly concern a degraded form that isn't used in food. Some people avoid it anyway, especially those with sensitive guts.
• Cellulose gumE466

  A thickener and emulsifier. In a 2022 controlled-feeding trial in healthy adults, it changed gut bacteria and reduced helpful compounds in the gut. Approved, but it's there to fake thickness. Also listed as: carboxymethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cmc
• CyclamateE952

  An artificial sweetener that's approved in the UK and EU but has been banned as a food additive in the US since 1970. Also listed as: sodium cyclamate, cyclamic acid
• Dextrose

  Another name for glucose. A fast sugar, often used as a cheap carrier for flavours or to bulk out a scoop.
• ErythritolE968

  A sugar alcohol that's gentler on the gut than most. A 2023 study linked higher blood levels to heart attack and stroke risk. That's an association, not proof, and research is ongoing.
• Glucose syrup

  Liquid sugar made from starch, used for cheap sweetness and bulk. It counts as free sugar, which UK guidance says adults should keep under 30g a day. Also listed as: glucose syrup solids, corn syrup, corn syrup solids
• Glucose-fructose syrup

  The UK name for high-fructose corn syrup: a cheap liquid sugar. It counts as free sugar, which UK guidance says adults should keep under 30g a day. Also listed as: high fructose corn syrup, hfcs, fructose-glucose syrup, isoglucose
• Glycine (added)

  A cheap amino acid. Added to a protein powder, it can push up the protein figure on the label without adding complete protein, a practice known as amino spiking.
• Guar gumE412

  A thickener from guar beans. It's a fermentable fibre, so in sensitive stomachs it's a known cause of gas and bloating. It's there to make a thin mix feel creamy.
• Hydrogenated vegetable oil

  Partial hydrogenation creates trans fats, which raise LDL cholesterol. The WHO has called for industrial trans fats to be eliminated from food. Also listed as: partially hydrogenated oil, hydrogenated oil, hydrogenated fat, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydrogenated palm oil
• Inulin

  A fibre often added to boost the fibre count. It's highly fermentable (a FODMAP), which makes it a common bloating trigger for people with sensitive guts. Also listed as: chicory root fibre, chicory root fiber, chicory root extract, fructooligosaccharides, oligofructose, fos
• MaltitolE965

  A sugar alcohol. Foods with more than 10% added polyols must carry the warning: excessive consumption may produce laxative effects. A common cause of gas and bloating. Also listed as: maltitol syrup
• Maltodextrin

  A cheap, highly processed carbohydrate made from starch. It bulks out the scoop and carries flavours, which means it dilutes the protein you paid for. Gram for gram, it raises blood sugar faster than table sugar.
• Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acidsE471

  An emulsifier made from fats. A large French cohort study (2023) linked higher intake of E471 with higher cardiovascular risk. That's an association, not proof. Also listed as: mono and diglycerides, monoglycerides, diglycerides
• Palm oil

  High in saturated fat, and linked to deforestation unless it's certified sustainable. In powders it's usually part of a cheap creamer. Also listed as: palm fat, palm kernel oil, vegetable oil (palm)
• Polysorbate 80E433

  A synthetic emulsifier. Animal studies link it to changes in gut bacteria and the gut lining. Human evidence is still limited, and it's approved for use. Also listed as: polysorbate
• Ponceau 4RE124

  A synthetic red colour from the Southampton study. UK foods containing it must carry the warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. Also listed as: cochineal red a
• Quinoline yellowE104

  A synthetic yellow colour from the Southampton study. UK foods containing it must carry the warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
• SaccharinE954

  One of the oldest artificial sweeteners, with a bitter, metallic aftertaste. Approved, and included in the WHO's 2023 advice against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control. Also listed as: sodium saccharin
• Sodium benzoateE211

  A preservative. Alongside vitamin C it can form small amounts of benzene, which led drinks makers to reformulate. It was also tested alongside the colours in the Southampton study. Also listed as: benzoic acid
• SorbitolE420

  A sugar alcohol. Foods with more than 10% added polyols must carry the warning: excessive consumption may produce laxative effects. A common cause of gas and bloating.
• Soy lecithin

  An emulsifier from soybeans that helps the powder mix faster. Safe by every regulatory account, though some people prefer to keep soy out of their dairy protein. Also listed as: soya lecithin, lecithin (soy), lecithin (soya), lecithins (soy), lecithins (soya), soy lecithins, soya lecithins
• SucraloseE955

  An artificial sweetener around 600 times sweeter than sugar, and the default in mainstream protein. Approved by regulators, but some human studies suggest it can alter gut bacteria and blood sugar responses, and the WHO's 2023 guidance advises against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control.
• Sunset yellowE110

  A synthetic orange colour from the Southampton study. UK foods containing it must carry the warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. Also listed as: sunset yellow fcf, orange yellow s
• TartrazineE102

  A synthetic yellow colour from the Southampton study. UK foods containing it must carry the warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
• Titanium dioxideE171

  A whitening colour. Banned as a food additive in the EU since 2022, after the EU's food safety authority could no longer rule out DNA damage. It's still permitted in Great Britain.
• Xanthan gumE415

  A thickener made by fermenting sugars. Harmless for most people, but in sensitive stomachs fermentable gums are a known cause of gas and bloating. If a label needs gums, ask what they're covering for.
• XylitolE967

  A sugar alcohol. In larger amounts it can cause gas and a laxative effect, and it's highly toxic to dogs, so keep it away from them.