Muscle Milk
Comprehensive Brand Analysis
Fast Facts
Company History & Milestones
• 1998–2000: CytoSport, Inc. founded by father–son team Greg and Mike Pickett in Benicia, California; Muscle Milk brand introduced and rapidly expanded in RTD shakes and powders. [Founding per CytoSport/brand history; site shows © CytoSport; founders documented in press and references.]
• 2014–2019: Hormel Foods acquired CytoSport (incl. Muscle Milk) for ~$450M (2014), then sold the business to PepsiCo for ~$465M (deal announced Feb 2019; closed Apr 15–16, 2019). Muscle Milk moved under PepsiCo’s Gatorade system for distribution and brand management.
• 2023: PepsiCo formalized the “Gatorade Portfolio,” bringing Muscle Milk together with Gatorade, Propel, Evolve, and Fast Twitch under one ecosystem.
• 2024: New “Strength For It All” brand campaign launched; notable athlete roster includes Candace Parker, Julio Rodríguez, and Christian Pulisic.
Product & Manufacturing Profile
Core Products
Ready‑to‑drink (RTD) protein shakes (Genuine, Zero, Pro Series, Plant‑Based) and protein powders (Genuine/Pro Series, 100% Whey, Gainer) plus creatine.
Manufacturing Model
CytoSport historically produced powders and pre‑blends in a ~150,000‑sq‑ft facility linked to its Benicia, CA operations; RTD products have been co‑manufactured with contract packers (e.g., HP Hood for certain lots historically). Since 2019 the brand operates within PepsiCo/Gatorade’s manufacturing and distribution network while retaining CytoSport corporate presence in Walnut Creek, CA.
Quality Certifications
Select Muscle Milk products carry NSF Certified for Sport® certification (e.g., “Muscle Milk 100% Whey… Chocolate” and “Muscle Milk Pro Series Creatine, Unflavored”), which entails contaminant screening and label‑claim verification recognized by USADA and major pro leagues.
Third-Party Testing
Products listed under NSF Certified for Sport® are batch‑tested by NSF for 280+ banned substances, label verification, and contaminant limits; listings include lot numbers and product specs. Outside NSF‑listed SKUs, PepsiCo/Gatorade maintains internal QA; the brand does not provide a public, batch‑searchable COA portal for all products.
Transparency
Ingredient Sourcing
Muscle Milk uses dairy‑derived proteins (e.g., whey) and other standard sports‑nutrition inputs; the company does not publicly disclose detailed supplier lists or country‑of‑origin for raw materials.
Published Testing
NSF Certified for Sport® listings are public for specific SKUs (with lot details). The brand does not maintain an open, brand‑wide COA library on its website for every batch/SKU.
Sustainability
As part of PepsiCo’s Gatorade Portfolio, Muscle Milk benefits from PepsiCo’s corporate sustainability programs (packaging, responsible sourcing frameworks). Brand‑specific sustainability disclosures are limited.
Trust Score
Trust Score: 4/10
Reasoning: Trust Score: 4/5
Reasoning: Muscle Milk benefits from ownership by PepsiCo and integration into the Gatorade Portfolio, robust distribution, and select NSF Certified for Sport® product certifications that reduce doping/contaminant risk and verify label accuracy. Corporate addresses and a long operating history add credibility. However, transparency remains limited for full‑line batch COAs. Historically, the brand faced issues noted by Consumer Reports (2010 heavy‑metal testing on certain powders) and a 2016 voluntary recall related to spoilage risk in certain RTD lots produced by a contract packer; no widespread recent safety crises have been reported, and NSF‑listed SKUs improve assurance. Balancing strong corporate backing and targeted third‑party certifications against incomplete COA transparency and past quality events yields a solid but not perfect rating.
Sources
- Muscle Milk official site (product families; brand ownership notice ©2025 CytoSport, Inc.)
- PepsiCo/Gatorade 'About Us' — Muscle Milk within Gatorade Portfolio
- PepsiCo completes acquisition of CytoSport (includes Muscle Milk) — Food Business News, Apr 16, 2019
- Hormel Foods press release: sale of CytoSport to PepsiCo completed — Apr 15, 2019
- Hormel to acquire CytoSport (2014) — company newsroom
- Gatorade Portfolio announcement/context — Fast Company (Feb 10, 2023)
- Marketing Brew: 2024 Muscle Milk campaign with Candace Parker, Julio Rodríguez, Christian Pulisic
- PepsiCo press release via PR Newswire: athlete roster campaign (Mar 26, 2024)
- NSF Certified for Sport® search results for 'Muscle Milk' (lists certified SKUs)
- NSF listing example — Muscle Milk 100% Whey (Chocolate) with lot numbers
- NSF Certified for Sport® — what the mark means (contaminants, banned substances, label verification)
- Consumer Reports (2010): Investigation on contaminants in protein drinks — Muscle Milk powders cited
- 2016 voluntary recall for spoilage risk — HP Hood / Muscle Milk RTDs (ALFOODACT notice)
- CytoSport company profile / addresses — D&B
- PitchBook profile — corporate office address (Walnut Creek, CA)
- CytoSport Wikipedia (founders; facility size; ownership under PepsiCo/Gatorade)
Featured Ingredients
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