KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 -- Recently there has been a flood of cheap whey protein supplements being sold online which should immediately ring alarm bells.

With some products priced as low as RM60 for a one-kilogramme tub - a fraction of the RM240 to RM300 typically charged by more reputable brands - many Malaysians have been drawn in by flashy deals and aggressive online marketing.

Whey protein, a by-product of cheese production, is valued for its high nutritional content and is widely used to support muscle growth and repair.

But producing it requires specialised machinery, skilled labour and strict quality control - making it an expensive process.

To reduce production costs, some manufacturers allegedly substitute much of the whey cont...