Milk Whey Processing: Prospects in Ukraine

Abstract

Milk processing not only makes the production of traditional dairy foods possible, but it is also followed by the formation of by-products, which are not fully utilized, and their emissions into wastewater worsen the environment. The modern technical and technological level of milk processing allows the full use of by-products, which are a source of whey proteins, lactose and other potentially useful ingredients at their base. Amid the decrease in milk production in recent years, an urgent problem is to increase the rank of milk processing in order to obtain products with high added value. The article presents the results of analytical studies of the state of the issue of whey processing in Ukraine. Modern conceptual approaches to solve the problems of processing various types of whey, which is formed as a by-product in the production of cheeses, cottage cheese, casein, are presented. The new types of products and ingredients obtained from whey, having a wide range of functional and technological properties and being in demand in the production of food products, are shown. The development trends of the novelty technologies for obtaining a wide range of whey-based products and ingredients are analyzed, new research data on their role in ensuring human health are presented. The review article reviews and justifies the feasibility of introducing modern membrane technologies for whey processing at domestic milk processing enterprises, this allowing rational use of raw milk resources, reducing negative environmental impact, and increasing production profitability. The results of scientific and applied research using membrane methods and enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose in technologies of dry demineralized whey and condensed low-lactose whey, are presented. The use of existing industrial equipment allows, due to changes in the protein-mineral composition of whey, obtaining products with a wide range of functional and technological properties and increased nutritional values.

Ecological and economic expediency of introducing modern membrane technologies of deep processing of milk whey

“…More than 20% of it is disposed of into the sewer. This indicates that the market for food products and ingredients loses approximately 5.5-8.7 million tons of whey proteins and 45.8-49.1 million tons of lactose [4]. Since the potential of milk whey is significant, its rational use should include its deep processing for the production of new types of food products and ingredients that have functional and technological properties necessary for the production of other food products.…”

“…These include factors like the high cost of equipment and the absence of adequate state environmental regulations. As a result, milk processing enterprises are often not compelled to reduce the volume of waste milk whey discharged into wastewater [4].…”