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Whey—A Valuable Technological Resource for the Production of New Functional Products with Added Health-Promoting Properties

Summary

Whey, the liquid left over from cheese-making, has been transformed from unwanted waste into a valuable ingredient for healthy foods and beverages. Instead of polluting the environment, modern technologies extract useful proteins, lactose, and other beneficial compounds from whey that can be used in sports drinks, infant formulas, and other nutritious products. By using whey effectively, dairy companies can reduce environmental pollution significantly while creating profitable, health-promoting products that benefit consumers.

Background

Whey is a major by-product of cheese and casein manufacture, representing approximately 180-200 million tonnes produced annually worldwide. Historically regarded as waste, whey poses significant environmental challenges due to high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of 30-50 g/L and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 60-80 g/L. Modern technological advances have transformed whey from an ecological burden into a valuable resource for functional food development.

Objective

This review examines the technological, environmental, and nutritional aspects of whey valorization, emphasizing modern processing methods and applications in functional foods. The study aims to outline global whey production, utilization rates, emerging processing technologies, and circular-economy approaches to sustainable dairy production.

Results

Only 50-60% of global whey production is effectively valorized, with 25% used for direct human consumption. Modern membrane technologies (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, microfiltration) and enzymatic methods enable recovery of proteins, lactose, and bioactive compounds. Whey valorization reduces environmental BOD by 55% and COD by 74%, with applications in functional beverages, edible films, bioplastics, biofuels, and biotechnological products.

Conclusion

Whey valorization significantly contributes to sustainable food production and environmental protection by reducing wastewater pollution and generating high-value functional products. Integrated circular-economy approaches utilizing modern processing technologies are essential to maximize the utilization of the 180-200 million tonnes of whey produced annually, supporting global sustainable development goals.
  • Published in:Foods,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 41464965
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