Fairlife vs Premier Protein: Protein, Sweeteners and Ingredients

Fairlife and Premier Protein both sell chocolate shakes with 26 to 30 grams of protein per bottle, but they build them differently. Fairlife Core Power and Nutrition Plan list filtered lowfat milk first, while Premier Protein lists filtered water, then milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate. All three bottles land between 150 and 170 calories, and all three list sucralose, acesulfame potassium and carrageenan.

Key takeaways:

• Fairlife uses ultra-filtered low-fat milk as its primary base, whereas Premier Protein blends filtered water with milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate.
• Both product lines contain the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium, but Fairlife also incorporates plant-derived monk fruit juice concentrate and stevia leaf extract.
• Premier Protein lists sunflower or soybean oil and four phosphate salts, none of which appear on either Fairlife ingredient list.
• Both brands deliver 26 to 30 grams of protein and 1 to 5 grams of total sugar per bottle, so the ingredient lists are where they differ most.

Fairlife vs Premier Protein: Comparison Table

The table compares the chocolate versions of Fairlife Core Power (26 g), Fairlife Nutrition Plan (30 g) and Premier Protein, using the nutrition panels on each brand's product page (Core Power, Nutrition Plan, Premier Protein). Serving sizes differ: Core Power is a 14 fl oz bottle, Nutrition Plan 11.5 fl oz and Premier Protein 11 fl oz.

Nutritional Metric / Ingredient	Fairlife Core Power Chocolate (14 fl oz)	Fairlife Nutrition Plan Chocolate (11.5 fl oz)	Premier Protein Chocolate (11 fl oz)
Calories	170 kcal	150 kcal	160 kcal
Protein	26 g	30 g	30 g
Total Fat	4.5 g (3 g sat fat)	2.5 g (1.5 g sat fat)	3 g (1 g sat fat)
Carbohydrates	8 g	4 g	4 g
Dietary Fiber	2 g	1 g	2 g
Total Sugars (Added)	5 g (0 g added)	2 g (not disclosed)	1 g (0 g added)
Primary Protein Source	Filtered Lowfat Grade A Milk	Filtered Lowfat Grade A Milk	Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate
Sweeteners Used	Sucralose, Ace-K, Monk Fruit, Stevia	Sucralose, Ace-K, Monk Fruit, Stevia	Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium
Emulsifiers & Thickeners	Carrageenan, Cellulose Gel & Gum	Carrageenan, Cellulose Gel & Gum	Carrageenan, Cellulose Gel & Gum
Added Phosphate Salts	None	None	Tripotassium, Dipotassium, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Magnesium
Added Oils & Allergens	None; Contains Milk	None; Contains Milk	Sunflower or Soybean Oil; Contains Milk, Soy

For a closer look at the 26 g bottle on its own, see Core Power Chocolate scanned.

Fairlife vs Premier Protein Ingredients: What Is Different?

The biggest ingredient difference is the base: Fairlife starts with filtered lowfat milk, while Premier Protein starts with filtered water plus milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate.

Fairlife Core Power and Fairlife Nutrition Plan list "Filtered Lowfat Grade A Milk" as their very first ingredient, and fairlife's product page describes the shakes as made from fairlife ultra-filtered milk. Everything else on both Fairlife lists sits under "Contains Less Than 1% Of".

Premier Protein's ingredient list opens with "Filtered Water, Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate", and the brand marks the last two as its protein sources. Its "less than 1%" group includes sunflower oil or soybean oil and natural and artificial flavors. Premier Protein declares both milk and soy, while fairlife's Core Power page declares milk.

Which Has More Protein: Fairlife or Premier Protein?

Premier Protein and Fairlife Nutrition Plan tie at 30 grams of protein per bottle, while Fairlife Core Power Chocolate has 26 grams per 14 fl oz bottle.

Looking closer at the macronutrient balance:

• Premier Protein (11 fl oz): 160 calories, 30 grams of protein, 3 grams of total fat (1 gram saturated), 4 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of total sugar (0 grams added sugar).
• Fairlife Nutrition Plan (11.5 fl oz): 150 calories, 30 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of total fat (1.5 grams saturated), 4 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of total sugar.
• Fairlife Core Power (14 fl oz): 170 calories, 26 grams of protein, 4.5 grams of total fat (3 grams saturated), 8 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of total sugar (0 grams added sugar).

Fairlife Core Power lists 260 mg of sodium per bottle; Fairlife Nutrition Plan and Premier Protein each list 230 mg.

What Sweeteners Are in Fairlife and Premier Protein?

Both brands sweeten with sucralose and acesulfame potassium, and Fairlife's two shakes also list monk fruit juice concentrate and stevia leaf extract.

Does Premier Protein have artificial sweeteners? Yes, Premier Protein contains the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sucralose was approved as a general-purpose food additive sweetener in 1999 and is approximately 600 times sweeter than table sugar. The FDA says acesulfame potassium is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is often combined with other sweeteners.

In 2025, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a re-evaluation of acesulfame K (E 950), establishing an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 15 mg/kg of body weight per day, replacing the previous ADI of 9 mg/kg. The panel noted that the highest exposure estimates were generally below the ADI in all population groups.

Fairlife Core Power and Nutrition Plan also use sucralose and acesulfame potassium. However, Fairlife supplements them with monk fruit juice concentrate and stevia leaf extract. The FDA has stated it has no questions regarding Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notices for purified steviol glycosides (200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar) and monk fruit extracts (100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar). Neither brand discloses the exact milligram amounts of these sweeteners per bottle. Core Power also faces off against a powdered shake in Ryse Loaded Protein vs Core Power.

Do Fairlife and Premier Protein Contain Carrageenan?

Yes. Fairlife Core Power, Fairlife Nutrition Plan and Premier Protein all list carrageenan, along with cellulose gel and cellulose gum.

Under 21 CFR 172.620, the FDA permits carrageenan, a refined hydrocolloid extracted from red seaweed, as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener in the amount necessary. In its 2018 re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407), EFSA concluded that the existing group ADI of 75 mg/kg body weight per day should be considered temporary because of uncertainties in the data. The precise quantity of carrageenan per bottle is not disclosed by either manufacturer.

Premier Protein also lists four phosphate salts: tripotassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate and magnesium phosphate. Under 21 CFR 182.6760, the FDA designates sodium hexametaphosphate as generally recognized as safe when utilized under good manufacturing practices. Neither Fairlife ingredient list includes an added phosphate salt.

Is Fairlife or Premier Protein Healthier?

Neither is healthier across the board: Premier Protein has slightly less sugar and the same 30 grams of protein as Fairlife Nutrition Plan, while Fairlife has the shorter additive list, with no added oils or phosphate salts.

Fairlife lists lactase enzyme in both Core Power and Nutrition Plan, but neither brand's product page states a lactose figure. Premier Protein's product page also carries the notice "Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction."

Both brands list sucralose, acesulfame potassium and carrageenan, so anyone avoiding those three will not find a difference between them. To check the ingredients on the exact bottle in your hand, scan it with the Aurascan app.

This article is not medical advice; ingredient evidence has limitations and individual tolerance varies.