Milk whey valorization: An overview from Biotechnology

Abstract

Zone 1 of Ecuador (provinces of Esmeraldas, Carchi, Ibarra and Sucumbios) is an eminently cattle region, where important daily volumes of milk are reached, especially the Andean provinces of Carchi and Ibarra. Almost a third of all milk is used for the production of different types of cheeses, generating considerable amounts of whey. An important part of whey is used in animal feed, plus another, is poured into rivers, streams and badlands, polluting natural sources of water. More stringent environmental regulations on the one hand and awareness on the other have highlighted the need to transform whey into less polluting effluents. If, as a result of this transformation, it is possible to obtain new products with higher added value than the whey itself, the resources used in the transformation would be partially amortized. In the present review, some of the available technologies are explored from biotechnologies, and ways to achieve this are explored in the context of Zone 1 of Ecuador.