DMI Develops New Acid Whey Fractionation Technology

DMI Develops New Acid Whey Fractionation Technology

ROSEMONT, Ill.--Dairy ManagementInc. (DMI) sponsored development of a new process for extracting nutrientsand proteins from acid whey. According to DMI (www.dairyinfo.com),the new technique, called ion-exchange-column chromatography, could helpincrease production of high-quality dairy proteins and nutraceuticals formanufacture of functional foods and beverages.

The new process, based on existing ion-exchange-chromatography technologies,involves loading acid whey into an ion-exchange column to capture all positivelycharged proteins. From this captured material, whey protein isolate (WPI),alpha-lactalbumin or WPI depleted in alpha-lactalbumin can be manufactured.Ion-exchange-column chromatography generates WPI and alpha-lactalbumin (ALA)from acid whey with high purity. The process removes the extra minerals, lipidsand lactic acid that both distinguish acid whey from sweet whey and potentiallyaffect the flavor and functionality of protein fractions. Other advantages ofthe new technology are that the process employs inexpensive food-grade buffers,is scalable and operates at high flow rates and high recovery levels.

"Although acid whey is a plentiful potential source for dairy nutrients,historically it has been underutilized for lack of effective fractionationtechniques that produce a high-quality product," said Mark Etzel, Ph.D.,with the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, who headed the research behind thenew technology. "The current processes for fractionating liquid whey usemembranes to separate the fluid into different components. The lower pH of acidwhey results in clogging of these membranes, inhibiting processing. Also, wheyprotein isolate manufactured in this fashion from acid whey contains traces oflactic acid, calcium and phosphate."

According to Etzel, more research is needed to compare the taste andperformance of whey proteins derived from both sweet whey and acid whey sources.However, Etzel said, "There's no reason to think they would differ, becausethe ion exchange chromatography process purifies out all the elements thataffect flavor and performance."

DMI said the ion-exchange-column chromatography process is ready forimplementation among manufacturers of cottage cheese and other cheese varietiesthat generate acid whey.