Slight Change to Huel v2.2 Formula

Since launching Huel v2.2, some people have commented that this version is lumpier than previous versions. We wanted to investigate these complaints carefully and be confident of the reasons. We changed the source of calcium in v2.2 to calcium citrate and we have identified that this was reacting with the gum blend and causing clumping. To minimise the formation of lumps we have now changed the calcium source to calcium carbonate, a substance that is also used in the food industry as an anti-caking agent. This, coupled with a tweak to the gum blend, has minimised the amount of lumps in Huel.

In addition to this small ingredient change, there are changes to the values of some of the minerals, most notably iron and zinc. The reason for these value changes is we are now using more robust data. I have also written the following articles to explain why the amounts of both trace elements in Huel are optimal: Iron; Zinc.

We are continuing to call this version v2.2 as there is not a significant change in ingredients to warrant a version change. You can read about the Huel version history here.

Vanilla Huel and Unflavoured Unsweetened Huel v2.2 with these changes are available now. Gluten-free versions with these tweaks will be available later this week.

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Thank you for the update. I look forward to trying it.

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Hi James,

I ordered Vanilla Huel this morning, will I be getting this new version?

Cheers,
Marc

good to know for those ones that weren’t happy :nerd_face:

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So, the shipment I’m receiving today, will it be the new formula? Since it’s 112 meals, it kind of matters to me. (I’m in Sweden, so I fear that it was shipped late last week?)

REALLY pleased to hear you’ve taken the comments on board and, hopefully, fixed it. Really looking forward to trying it!

@JamesCollier Which batch number will the change apply from, and if I place and order today, will this be the ‘tweaked’ version?

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Any chance I could get a refund or send my current lumpy version 2.2 back? I have 2 or 3 unopened bags. Big reason for not using Huel anymore is the lumps for me.

Any order placed after 3pm yesterday will be this new version. You will be able to confirm too by checking the ingredients on the back of the pouch to see if it contains ‘Calcium Carbonate’ in the Vitamin and Mineral blend. Hope this helps!

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Thank you, Tim. That’s what I needed to know.

:frowning: Edit (after email): :smiley:

I’m mixing mine with the Huel shaker with the mesh inserted. This is doing a good job of bashing up the lumps.

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:frowning: I missed the new version by a matter of hours. Mine was dispatched yesterday at 12:08pm.

Mine was dispatched today, but apparently the old version, since it’s a recurring order.

Edit: New version!

How long did your first order take to arrive? I am also in Sweden :slight_smile:

Surprisingly quick, as I remember it. Couple of days.

Oh, that’s interesting! I usually use a blender so it’s not been a problem, but a few weekends ago I went camping and took some Huel and the shaker bottle. It was a complete mare to shake even though I used my previously lump-free shaking technique. Glad my next camping trip won’t have the same problem! Good news.

Iron per 100g was previously listed as 13.9. Now it is listed as 7.9.
Zinc per 100g was previously listed as 2.5. Now it is listed as 4.0.

So, the previously inaccurate figures weren’t just slightly inaccurate – they were wildly inaccurate by almost a factor of 2.

How can anything on the label be trusted? Anything on the label could be half as much as specified or double as much as specified, based on the robustness of your data up until now.

There are some problems with calcium carbonate as calcium source though:

  1. 500 mg (for example) contains 200 mg calcium and 300 mg carbonate. This means not so much actual calcium.

  2. The bio-availability is only 15%… So, you don’t really get much from it.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtYE4drJNYM

Why not add some bone powder to the mix to get enough good calcium? We need around 1500 mg per day depending on body weight…

Hi @eldrin

Many food manufacturers use the nutritional information from their ingredient suppliers to calculate the amount of nutrients in their final product; we have gone above and beyond this and analysed the nutritional composition for each ingredient independently from the manufacturers to get more robust information. In nature, there is considerable variation of nutrients (especially with minerals) and the iron and zinc in Huel are both 100% natural from the main ingredients (none from our bespoke vitamin mineral blend).

Through repeated testing, we get data that is more reliable, as is the case here. I understand your valid concern, but I assure you that the amounts are reflective of what you’re obtaining from Huel considering natural variation.

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Hi

Remember that around 70% of the calcium in Huel is from the natural ingredients, so we’re only talking about 30% of the label amount here; then, in response…

  1. The amount of calcium that we get from the calcium carbonate is what we’re claiming for, so your point here is moot.

  2. It’s actually higher - more like 25-30%. Sure, not as much as calcium citrate (40%), but still similar to what one gets from a typical mixed diet. Calcium recommended intakes are based on average absorption, so the amount absorbed is reflective.

I hope this settles your concerns.

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