Functional milk proteins: Production and utilization-whey-based ingredients

Abstract

Historically, whey was considered to have very little value by the dairy industry. However whey contains about 50 % of the total solids of milk, including almost 100 % of the lactose and about 20 % of the total protein. The excellent nutritional value of whey proteins and the enhanced functional properties of whey-based ingredients have now been widely recognised. Over the years, advancements in science and technology have transformed whey from a troublesome waste product to valuable dairy ingredients. Whey is no longer a ‘by-product’, but is rather seen as a valuable ‘co-product’ of cheese making and casein production. This chapter focuses on various unit operations that are commonly utilised for concentration, fractionation and dehydration of whey-based ingredients. The composition and application of whey-based ingredients such as whey powders, whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolate and whey protein fractions are also discussed.