No More Wasting Acid Whey Waste

LONDONAcid whey waste is now a thing of the past with the new processing solution from Arla Foods Ingredients that enables manufacturers of traditional Greek strained yogurt to save money by using the acid when in alternative ways.

Based on Arla Foods Ingredients Nutrilac® protein, the new process allows companies to use their acid whey to make value-added dairy products, such as high protein fermented beverages, whey smoothies and fermented desserts.

For every 100kg of milk used to make traditional Greek yoghurt, only 33kg ends up used in the final product. The remaining two-thirds is acid whey, a by-product that must be dealt with by the processor.

Until now, Greek yogurt  makers have tended to offload acid whey into the animal feed and biofuels markets. But handling costs are high and returns are low, making both of these uneconomical options. Alternatively, some producers simply dispose of acid whey in their waste stream, a solution that attracts unwelcome overheads and zero incomeand controversy on environmental grounds.

Arla has developed a process using Nutrilac  protein, which is derived from milk, to turn acid whey into a range of dairy products that can be sold at a high margin on consumer markets. Using acid whey in this way eliminates the storage and transportation requirements associated with other methods of disposing of it.

Until now it has simply been accepted that acid whey is an unavoidable waste product of Greek yoghurt productionbut not any more. With the addition of our Nutrilac  protein solution to the acid whey, what was once a waste product is now a raw material that can be used to create a high quality product with added value," Torben Jensen, application manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said.

This acid whey concept is also suitable for use in other applications where acid whey is a by-product, including quark production.