Turn acid whey into nutritious food products

DAIRY producers don’t have to discard acid whey, a by-product of dairy goods like Greek yoghurt and cheeses. This by-product can be further processed in combination with whey protein to create dips, beverages, cheese, and other food products. According to Arla Food Ingredients, acid whey which contains nutritious mineral is an untapped goldmine.

The company is promoting the possibilities presented by acid whey as part of a new campaign called Maximum Yield. The awareness drive is seeking to change perceptions of acid whey and explain how dairy companies can use it to maximize their output, increase profits and significantly cut waste.

Claus Andersen, Category & Application Manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Acid whey remains an untapped goldmine. It contains the same minerals as milk, which means it offers the same benefits to bones, teeth and general health. But it is often disposed of in waste streams or sold for little or no profit to farmers for use in animal feed. Our Maximum Yield campaign is highlighting how it can instead be converted into high value consumer products and, in turn, enable dairies to boost their efficiency by using 100 percent of their milk and not just a portion of it.”

Yields for some dairy products are typically only 25-50 percent of the milk used. In the case of Greek yoghurt, for example, only 33 percent of the milk ends up in the finished product: the remaining two thirds is acid whey. In addition to impacting on its efficiency and profitability, this can damage a dairy company’s sustainability credentials. Waste is among the leading consumer concerns in today’s food and beverage industry, and Euromonitor International has ranked sustainable food production among its top 10 trends for 2016[1].

Arla Foods Ingredients’ range of Nutrilac^® whey protein solutions which, when added to acid whey, make it possible to transform it into a wide selection of high quality and nutritious dairy products.

Applications include cream cheese, processed cheese, dips, beverages, stirred yoghurts and desserts. As well as supplying the Nutrilac^® whey proteins, Arla Foods Ingredients provides full technical support to help dairy companies use them with their acid whey.

“If you go back 30 years, whey protein from cheese making was viewed as a by-product with little value. Now it is recognized as a high value ingredient with almost endless possibilities in multiple sectors such as dairy, bakery and sports nutrition. We are at a similar stage now with acid whey. It is an exceptional raw material, but many processors don’t know how to unlock its potential. Nutrilac^® whey protein solutions are the key to achieving this and – with our expertise and technical support – we can show dairies just how easy it is,” Mr Andersen added.