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Sustainably Healthy -Protein

Ingredients are becoming increasingly more sustainable. Aiming for both a maximum yield and a minimum strain on the environment, as well as the market demand for healthy food, dairy companies are continuously searching for whey proteins that can contribute to our health and the structure of products. Whey proteins are good for people, the environment […]

Ingredients are becoming increasingly more sustainable. Aiming for both a maximum yield and a minimum strain on the environment, as well as the market demand for healthy food, dairy companies are continuously searching for whey proteins that can contribute to our health and the structure of products. Whey proteins are good for people, the environment and for our wallets. How times change; whey was in the past always considered as waste from the cheese industry. The dumping of cheese whey created huge environmental problems. But the days in which whey was seen as a waste product are over.

Whey is a relatively new resource that is further processed into functional ingredients used in foods, medicine and as nutrients in diet and health foods. Although the protein percentage in whey is about 0.6%, the amount of whey that is created as a by-product of production is certainly interesting. In the largest cheese factories, approximately 900,000 kilogrammes of whey is produced in the daily production of 100,000 kilogrammes of Gouda cheese. That gives you some idea. The nutritional and bioactive properties of whey proteins and process-technological developments, especially in the field of membrane technology, enable the development of innovative, ‘added value’ products for the consumer.

Whey proteins consist of a mixture of globular proteins. The structural and physical properties of major whey protein fractions have been researched more than any other protein in food. There has been ample focus on the relationship of proteins with functional properties in food. These properties depend on the environment in which the proteins end up. The content of fat, sugars and salts is important, as well as the process-oriented treatment.

Beta-lactoglobulin is the most abundant whey protein. It can be processed from clarified cheese whey in the same process as alpha-lactalbumin, another whey protein. In contrast to alpha-lactalbumin, the use of beta-lactoglobulin is mainly based on its structural emulsifying, stabilising, foaming and gelling properties in desserts, confectionery and dressings. It can be considered as an egg white replacer. Alfa-lactalbumin is the primary protein in human milk and is thus interesting for ‘humanised’ infant food.

Other examples of promising whey proteins are lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase. These minor whey proteins have antimicrobial activity. Lactoferrin also induces immunity and is used in infant formula, nutritional supplements and skin care products. Lactoperoxidase can be used as a natural preservative in various applications, including toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetics and in pesticides for controlling fungi and bacteria.

New scientific insights into the health effects of whey proteins lead to new innovations. The variety of applications will further increase, as the proteins contribute both nutritionally and structurally to different products. This is beneficial to the dairy chain’s sustainability, as long as good uses are also found for the other ingredients, such as lactose.