Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers about TLC PureOrigin products, ingredients, sweeteners, preparation, batch testing, shipping and returns.

Testing & Quality

How can I find the testing results for my product?

Locate the lot number printed on your bag, then scan the QR code to open our Batch Quality page. Find your lot number on the page and select it to view the corresponding third-party testing report. Each report applies specifically to the production lot identified on your package.

What does TLC PureOrigin test for?

Our finished-product testing program screens for heavy metals and microbiological contaminants. Every published report identifies the exact substances tested, the laboratory method and the results obtained.

Does testing for heavy metals mean the product is “heavy-metal free”?

No. Trace amounts of naturally occurring elements can be present in agricultural and dairy-derived ingredients. Laboratory testing determines the measured concentration or reports that an element was not detected above the method’s detection limit. “Not detected” does not necessarily mean absolute zero, which is why TLC PureOrigin does not use the term “heavy-metal free.”

What is the difference between raw-material and finished-product testing?

Raw-material testing evaluates specified ingredients before manufacturing. Finished-product testing evaluates the complete formulation after blending. A raw-material report helps qualify an ingredient, but it does not replace testing of the finished product. The report associated with your package will clearly identify whether it covers an incoming ingredient or the finished production lot.

Who performs the testing, and when are results published?

Testing is performed by qualified third-party laboratories that are separate from TLC PureOrigin and the product manufacturer. Finished-product results are reviewed and posted before products from the applicable commercial lot are distributed. Reports include the laboratory identity, testing date, product or material tested, lot number and available testing methodology.

About Our Pea Protein

Where does your pea protein come from?

TLC PurePlant Protein™ is made with Nutralys® pea protein isolate. It begins as Canadian-grown yellow peas, and the protein isolate is produced in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, using water as the only solvent — no hexane or other synthetic solvents. The isolate is then supplied to us, and the finished product is blended at a certified Canadian facility, where the amino acids and any flavours are added. The isolate contains no thickening gums or emulsifiers, and is non-GMO, gluten-free, and free of animal products.

Why do you fortify with L-leucine and L-methionine?

Pea protein is naturally rich in lysine but, compared with animal proteins, lower in leucine and the sulfur amino acids (methionine and cysteine). We add L-methionine to complete pea’s limiting amino acid and L-leucine to reach roughly 2.5 g per serving — an amount associated with a robust muscle-protein-synthesis response. To be precise about the evidence: the methionine correction is well established, and the leucine-fortification approach is well supported in human trials on fortified plant proteins, though research on this exact combination is still limited.

Why is there no rice in your pea protein?

Our first formula used rice to complement pea’s amino acid profile, but rice is the plant kingdom’s most efficient accumulator of inorganic arsenic. When our rice ingredient tested higher than we were willing to accept, we removed it rather than blend around it, and rebuilt the profile with methionine and leucine. Read the full story →

What is not in it?

No artificial flavours, no generic “natural flavours,” no engineered flavour systems, no thickening gums, no emulsifiers, and no non-nutritive sweeteners. Every carrier and ingredient is listed openly on the panel.

Does removing antinutrients mean there are none at all?

Whole peas naturally contain antinutrients such as phytic acid and protease inhibitors. Dehulling, water extraction, and drying remove the large majority of them, which is why protein isolates digest far better than whole or minimally processed peas. We describe these compounds as greatly reduced rather than absent.

How do I prepare and store it?

Mix 2 scoops (30 g) with 6–10 oz (180–300 mL) of cold water or a beverage of choice. Shake vigorously for 25–30 seconds, or blend for 20–30 seconds. Use 1 serving daily, or adjust to your individual protein needs. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

What are the nutrition basics per serving?

A 2-scoop (30 g) serving delivers about 20 g of protein and roughly 2.5 g of leucine. Calories and sugars vary by flavour — the unflavoured has no added sugar, while the flavoured versions include a small amount of organic coconut sugar. See the Nutrition Facts panel on each product for exact values.

About Our Whey Protein (TLC PureProtein 80™)

What is WPC80 (whey protein concentrate 80)?

WPC80 is a dairy protein made from fresh sweet whey — the whey produced during cheesemaking — gently processed using a low-temperature cold microfiltration process and concentrated to about 80% protein on a dry-matter basis (typically about 77% as supplied). It is non-instantized, with whey protein concentrate as its sole ingredient. It contains all nine essential amino acids, is naturally rich in leucine, and scores a PDCAAS of 1.0 — the highest score on the standard scale used to rate protein quality — with small amounts of fat and lactose retained. Read why we chose it →

Is your whey from cows treated with added growth hormones?

No. Our supplier documentation confirms that the milk used to produce our WPC80 comes from cows not treated with added growth hormones (rBST/rBGH). One point of honesty, because it matters: all milk naturally contains bovine somatotropin, which is why no dairy protein can accurately be described as “hormone free.” What the documentation supports — and what we say — is that no recombinant growth hormone was administered to the animals.

Is cheese-derived whey the same as regular whey?

It comes from the same place. During cheesemaking, milk separates into a solid curd and liquid whey; that whey is filtered to make WPC80. “Cheese whey” simply describes this origin. Because it is minimally processed, it also naturally carries bioactive milk fractions such as glycomacropeptide (GMP).

How much lactose is in WPC80?

Our WPC80 ingredient specification lists a typical lactose content of about 8% by weight, which works out to roughly 3 g per serving. That is a modest amount, but WPC80 is not lactose-free. Many people with reduced lactose digestion tolerate small amounts, particularly with food; those with lactose intolerance should assess their own tolerance, and anyone with a milk-protein allergy should avoid whey entirely.

How much protein and leucine is in a serving?

Our WPC80 supplies about 10 g of leucine per 100 g of protein, so the amount per serving depends on how much whey each formula contains. Unflavoured delivers about 32 g of protein and 3.2 g of leucine per serving. Double Cocoa and Heritage Vanilla Bean Spice deliver about 27 g of protein and 2.6 g of leucine, because the cocoa or vanilla and organic coconut sugar make up part of the serving. Leucine is the branched-chain amino acid most closely associated with a robust muscle-protein-synthesis response, and all three formulas sit within the range used in muscle-protein research. Exact values are on each product’s Nutrition Facts panel. See the full amino acid composition →

Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC80) vs Whey Isolate—What’s the Difference?

Both are high-quality dairy proteins; they differ mainly in how much they are filtered.

• Protein content: Isolate is filtered further and is typically higher in protein (often 90%+). WPC80 is about 77% protein as supplied (≥80% on a dry-matter basis).
• Lactose and fat: Isolate contains very little lactose or fat. WPC80 retains small amounts of both — roughly 3 g of lactose per serving.
• Naturally occurring milk fractions: WPC80 retains more of these, including glycomacropeptide (GMP); further filtration reduces them in isolate.
• Choosing between them: The right form depends on your protein goals, calorie targets, and lactose tolerance. You can see the options in our whey protein collection.

What is glycomacropeptide (GMP)?

GMP is a peptide released during cheesemaking that naturally ends up in cheese-derived whey — in our WPC80 it typically makes up close to a quarter of the total protein. Laboratory and animal studies suggest it may have prebiotic and immune-signalling activity, but human evidence is limited and inconsistent. We describe it as a promising area of research, not a proven health benefit of the finished product.

Why does TLC PureProtein 80™ require a little more mixing than some protein powders?

Some protein powders use added lecithin or specialized processing to help them wet and disperse almost instantly. The WPC80 used as the protein foundation in TLC PureProtein 80™ lists whey protein concentrate as its sole ingredient and does not list lecithin or an anti-caking agent. It may therefore require more vigorous mixing or a brief resting period. This reflects how the powder disperses in liquid, not its protein content or amino-acid profile.

Why do you leave out added lecithin?

Research on soy lecithin has identified changes in microbial metabolites, but the clinical significance remains uncertain. These findings do not establish that lecithin damages the gut. Read the human trial (Wellens et al., 2026).

Because added lecithin is not necessary for our formulation, we choose to leave it out while the evidence develops. This is a precautionary formulation choice—not a claim that lecithin-free protein has proven superior gut-health outcomes.

This is separate from mixing performance: easy mixing does not prove that a powder contains lecithin, and clumping does not prove purity. Check the ingredient information.

What is the best way to mix TLC PureProtein 80™?

Add your preferred liquid to the shaker first, followed by the powder. Shake vigorously for 20–30 seconds, let it rest for 30–60 seconds, and shake again. A shaker containing a mixing ball or screen generally works best. For an especially smooth texture, use a blender for approximately 10–15 seconds. If mixing with a spoon, first make a smooth paste using a small amount of liquid, then gradually stir in the remaining liquid.

Are small clumps normal?

Small temporary clumps can occur because the powder may wet more slowly than a lecithinated instant protein. Continue shaking or allow the mixture to rest briefly before shaking again. Avoid adding the powder directly to very hot liquid, which can encourage clumping.

Heritage Vanilla & Our Flavour Standard

Why don’t you use the words “natural flavour,” if your ingredients are natural?

Because “natural flavour” is a legal labelling term, not a full ingredient list. It can legally bundle carriers, solvents, and processing aids — components you never actually see — behind two words. When we reviewed a supplier’s certificate of analysis for a typical “natural vanilla flavour,” we counted six components inside it — including maltodextrin and even a stevia-based sweetener that the ingredient statement itself did not name. Our ingredients genuinely are natural, but we would rather name every component on the panel than hide them behind a term. So we don’t print “natural flavour” — we print what is actually in it.

So what is in the Heritage Vanilla flavour?

Real vanilla, declared in full. The flavour comes from a vanilla extract powder — acacia fibre (a prebiotic plant fibre) carrying a vanilla extract made from vegetable glycerin, water, and vanilla bean — combined with ground whole vanilla bean (with seeds) and Ceylon cinnamon. That is the entire flavour system. No maltodextrin, no thickening gums, no emulsifiers, no engineered “natural flavour” blend, and no artificial flavours.

Do you make your own vanilla flavour?

In effect, yes — we build our own vanilla flavour system in-house, because the clean version we wanted isn’t sold off the shelf. A powdered “natural vanilla flavour” almost always arrives one of two ways: alcohol-based, or carried on maltodextrin — the same bulking agent we work to keep out of the formula. The version we wanted — alcohol-free, no maltodextrin, nothing hidden — simply isn’t available as a finished powder at the volumes we produce. So TLC NeuroMicrobiome Labs Inc., the company behind TLC PureOrigin, assembles it: we take an alcohol-free vanilla extract — whole vanilla pods infused in water and vegetable glycerine (palm-free), and nothing else — and carry it on acacia fibre, a prebiotic plant fibre, into a stable dry powder. Getting a liquid extract to hold as a clean, even powder took real formulation work: the right carrier, the right proportions, and a drying step we worked out ourselves. We are not making vanilla from scratch, and we are not inventing anything — we are building a clean delivery system for real vanilla, because no one sells it the way our standard requires. And we still make it in-house, batch by batch, at the volumes we need.

Do you use a vanilla extract, or only ground vanilla bean?

Both — and we are transparent about it. Yes, there is an extract. But it is an alcohol-free extract made with vegetable glycerin and water, not ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerol esters, or oil-based solvents, and it is carried on acacia fibre rather than maltodextrin. We combine that extract with ground whole vanilla bean so the flavour is real vanilla in its natural aromatic form, with every component listed on the label.

Why avoid maltodextrin and “natural flavour” carriers?

Two reasons. First, transparency: you deserve to see every component, not a catch-all term. Second, gut compatibility. Some carriers and additives common in flavour systems, such as maltodextrin and certain emulsifiers, have emerging research suggesting they may affect the gut microbiome. That evidence is still developing and mixed, so we are not claiming these ingredients are dangerous or that our vanilla treats anything. Our standard is simpler: when a component is optional and its long-term gut effects are unsettled, we leave it out and use a fully declared, gut-friendly alternative such as acacia fibre instead.

Is the whey (TLC PureProtein 80) Heritage Vanilla made the same way?

Yes — the same real-vanilla approach. The whey version uses the same vanilla extract powder (acacia fibre with a glycerin-and-water vanilla extract), ground whole vanilla bean, and Ceylon cinnamon, with sea salt. Both the pea and whey versions avoid artificial flavours, “natural flavour” blends, maltodextrin, thickening gums, emulsifiers, and non-nutritive sweeteners.

Shipping & Returns

Where can I find shipping and return information?

Our full policies are available here: Shipping & Delivery and Returns & Refunds.