Whey Protein Concentrate: Overview and Membrane Operations

Due to the ever-increasing production of cheese varieties, the generation of whey, as a consequence, results in the separation, fractionation, and concentration of valuable whey components, mainly proteins, while other components such as lactose and specific minerals are also extracted and used in different industrial applications. The estimated world’s whey protein production exceeds 770,000 metric tonnes annually (Thompson et al. 2009). The composition of whey protein products usually varies depending on the method of casein concentration. The whey resulting from rennet-coagulated casein or rennet-type Cheddar or Swiss cheese manufacturing is known as sweet whey (pH >5.6). It contains higher lactose content than acid whey, which is obtained from the manufacture of acid casein brought about by addition of either lactic or mineral acid. It also contains more mineral (ash) content comparatively. Once a major pollutant, whey has now been recognized as a source of a diverse range of...