Whey production

US DEC (US Dairy Export Council) (2007). Reference Manual for US Whey Products. U.S. Dairy Export Council, Arlington, VA. 

The higher protein content whey products are used in many products, and have been mainly promoted for their health benefits. Our contribution is creating extrusion texturized whey products that expands the range of products that can contain whey proteins (Onwulata, 2009 Onwulata et al., 2010). 

The range of whey products that are used include, for example, ultra-filtered and dried WPC, which contains between 20% and 89% protein ion exchange and membrane filtered WPI, which contains at least 90-95% protein (Tunick, 2008) and other whey fraction-enriched products such as p-lactalbumin. These enriched protein whey products can be texturized and used in the manufacture of high-protein content puffed com products (Onwulata et al, 2010). 

The constraint of extruding whey protein above the useful texturization range is keeping the temperature below the point where pyrolysis will occur as evidenced by relatively constant nitrogen content. However, texturized whey products are sometimes extruded at 150 °C to form... 

Allen, K. E., Carpenter, C. E., and Walsh, M. K. (2007). Influence of protein level and starch type on an extrusion-expanded whey product. Int. ]. Food Sci. Technol. 42, 953-960. 

Onwulata, C. I., Smith, P. W., Konstance, R. P., and Holsinger, V. H. (2001b). Incorporation of whey products in extruded corn, potato or rice snacks. Food Res. Int. 34, 679-687. 

The water sorption characteristics of dairy products (like those of most other foodstuffs) are governed by their non-fat constituents (principally lactose and proteins). However, in many milk and whey products, the situation is complicated by structural transformations and/or solute crystallization. 

Even though liquid whey has been successfully commercialized in the form of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, these are still a rarity in most countries. Most whey is converted to whey solids as ingredients for human food or animal feeds by traditional processes such as spray drying, roller drying, concentration to semisolid feed blocks, or production of sweetened condensed whey. Jelen (1979) reported other traditionally established processes including lactose crystallization from untreated or modified whey, production of heat-denatured whey protein concentrate, or recovery of milk fat from whey cheese in whey butter. ... 

Nearly 60% of the whey and whey products produced in the United States in 1980 were used in human food products, over 80% as dry whey. More than 65% of the whey used for animal feed was a dried whey product. Principal users of whey products for human foods are dairies and bakeries. Lactose, which is derived primarily from whey, is used mainly in infant foods and pharmaceuticals (Whey Products Institute 1980). 

Whey Products Institute. 1980. Whey Products—A Survey of Utilization and Production Trends 1980. Bulletin No. 25. Whey Products Institute, Chicago. 

Whey Products Institute. 1981. Personal communication. Chicago. 

In the past few years, considerable research has been devoted to whey processing and utilization. Because excellent reviews of progress in whey research are available (Whey Products Conference Proceedings, 1970,1973,1975,1977,1979,1981,1983,1985 Whey Research Workshop II 1979 Evans 1980 Hobman 1984), the discussion here will be brief. 

Lactose and casein are the two principal reactants in the browning of milk products, but dried whey products containing lactose also undergo browning. Holsinger et al. (1973) studied the variation of total and available lysine in dehydrated products from cheese wheys by different processes. Roller-dried products showed significant losses in ly-... 

Ahlgren, R. M. 1977. Electromembrane technology for whey processing. In Proceedings, Whey Products Conference 1976. Pub. No. ARS-NE-81, USDA ARS. Eastern Regional Research Center, Philadelphia. 

Holsinger, V. H. 1979. Agricultural research toward increased whey utilization. In Proceedings—Whey Products Conference, 1978 USDA, ARS. Eastern Regional Research Center, Philadelphia, pp. 90-110. 

Whey Products Conference/1978. Proceedings. 1979. USDA, ARS. Eastern Regional Research Center, Philadelphia. 

Young, H. 1970 The drying of whey and whey products. Proceedings, Whey Products... 

M. miehei rennet is the most heat stable of all the commonly used milk-clotting enzymes (Thunell et al 1979). None is destroyed during Cheddar cheese manufacture although, like M. pusillus var. Lindt rennet, less than 2% remains active in the cheese (Harper and Lee 1975 Holmes et al. 1977). It remains active in the whey and is concentrated in condensed whey products. 

Because of problems encountered in blending whey products containing residual M. miehei rennet with materials containing casein, this rennet preparation has been modified to decrease its heat stability (Branner-Jorgensen et al 1980 Cornelius 1982). This process involves treatment of the rennet with hydrogen peroxide under controlled conditions. Some enzymic activity is lost but the modified enzyme has about the same stability as calf rennet. Nearly all M. miehei rennet used by the cheese industry is now modified (Ramet and Weber 1981). 

Whey is a coproduct of cheese manufacturing. In 2000, California produced an estimated 1.5 billion lb of cheese, yielding 747,000 t of dried whey. It is costly to dispose whey in municipal water systems. Hence, an alternative use for whey would enhance the economics of cheese production. Currently, whey protein is used as a food additive, a protein supplement, and an animal feed. In addition, there are a few ethanol plants in California and the Midwest that use whey as a feedstock. The current California whey production would yield approx 4.7 million gal of ethanol. 

R. G. Semerad, "Sanitary Considerations Involved with Membrane Equipment," Proceedings of the Whey Product Conference, Atlantic City, N.J., 1976. 

Delany, R. A. M. Proc. Whey Products Conf. ERRC Publ., Agricultural Research Service, USDA Philadelphia, PA, 1979,... 

Anonymous. Estimated U.S. Fluid Whey ana Whey Solids Production (by type) and Resulting Quantity of Whey Solids Further Processed Whey Products Institute, Chicago, IL,... 

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