Interest in animal cell-based meat (ACBM) or laboratory-grown meat has been increasing; however, the economic viability of these potential products has not been thoroughly vetted. Recent studies suggest monoclonal antibody production technology can be adapted for the industrialization of ACBM production. This study provides a scenario-based assessment of the projected cost per kilogram of ACBM produced in the United States based on cellular metabolic requirements and process/chemical engineering conventions. A sensitivity analysis of the model identified the nine most influential cost factors for ACBM production out of 67 initial parameters. The results indicate that technological performance will need to approach technical limits for ACBM to achieve profitably as a commodity. However, the model also suggests that low-volume high-value specialty products could be viable based on current technology.

Lactose within whey can be fermented and distilled to produce a potable distilled spirit. The aim of this study was to determine if acid and sweet whey types can be fermented and distilled using similar processes and to investigate differences in volatile aroma compounds for the 2 distillates. Fermentation and distillation of the 2 whey types progressed in a similar manner, using Kluyveromyces marxianus for the initial fermentation and a glass still fitted with a Vigreux column for the subsequent distillation. Ethanol content of the wash (fermented whey) varied considerably following each fermentation and ranged from 1.2 and 2.0% (wt/wt) with no clear trend between acid and sweet whey samples. Volatile aroma compounds were extracted using headspace solid-phase microextraction and identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Acid and sweet whey distillates contained unique volatile aromatic compounds, and significant differences in compound peak areas were observed. These differences may have an effect upon the organoleptic qualities of spirits produced from whey; therefore, whey source may be an important factor when fermenting and distilling whey.

Whey disposal can be both an environmental and economic challenge for artisanal creameries. Lactose in whey can be fermented to produce ethanol and subsequently distilled. The objective of this study was to use a process-based life cycle analysis to compare carbon dioxide-equivalent (COe) emissions and water usage associated with the artisanal or craft production of clear, unaged spirits using whey or malted barley as fermentation substrate. Differences in production were assessed based on key process differences: energy used, water used, distillation by-product disposal, and mass of CO produced during fermentation. For this study, whey was assumed removed from the artisanal creamery waste stream. Quantifiable differences were evaluated per 750-mL (45% alcohol by volume) functional unit and expressed as mass-equivalent CO emissions (kg of COe) and mass of water (kg) used. The COe emissions and water usage were quantified using published data, thermodynamic calculations, and mass-balance calculations for a hypothetical distillation system. The process-based life cycle analysis estimated that distillation of fermented whey reduced overall COe emissions by 8.4 kg per functional unit and required 0.44 kg less water added into the production process compared with production of a similar clear, unaged spirit using malted barley as substrate. Our preliminary analysis suggests that conversion to distilled whey spirit is a more environmentally responsible approach compared with landfill disposal of whey.

Pinene is a secondary plant metabolite that has functional properties as a flavor additive as well as potential cognitive health benefits. Although pinene is present in low concentrations in several plants, it is possible to engineer microorganisms to produce pinene. However, feedstock cost is currently limiting the industrial scale-up of microbial pinene production. One potential solution is to leverage waste streams such as whey permeate as an alternative to expensive feedstocks. Whey permeate is a sterile-filtered dairy effluent that contains 4.5% weight/weight lactose, and it must be processed or disposed of due its high biochemical oxygen demand, often at significant cost to the producer. Approximately 180 million m3 of whey is produced annually in the U.S., and only half of this quantity receives additional processing for the recovery of lactose. Given that organisms such as recombinant Escherichia coli grow on untreated whey permeate, there is an opportunity for dairy producers to microbially produce pinene and reduce the biological oxygen demand of whey permeate via microbial lactose consumption. The process would convert a waste stream into a valuable coproduct. This review examines the current approaches for microbial pinene production, and the suitability of whey permeate as a medium for microbial pinene production.

Whey production can be an economic and environmental problem for small creameries and acid whey producers. The fermentation and distillation of whey not only eliminates the cost of disposing whey as waste while minimizing environmental impact but adds a revenue option through production of a value-added product. Kluyveromyces marxianus is typically utilized to ferment the pasteurized and pretreated whey. The fermented product contains approximately 3% ethanol v/v. Various options for distilling may be utilized such as a simple two-pot system or a more complex four-stage system to assure production of a neutral spirit. Quality of the distilled spirit is impacted by whey source, whey pretreatment, fermentation conditions, and the distilling process.