Whey Protein Production, Chemistry, Functionality, and Applications

Mingruo Guo

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781119256021
• eBook ISBN: 9781119256045
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

An up-to-date overview of the dynamic field of whey protein utilization

Whey Protein Production, Chemistry, Functionality and Applications explores the science and technology behind the rapidly increasing popularity of this most versatile of dairy by-products. With its richly nutritious qualities, whey protein has been widely used in the food industry for many years. The last decade has, however, seen manufacturers develop many innovative and exciting new applications for it, both in food and other areas.

Taking account of these advances, this insightful work offers a full explanation of the technological and chemical breakthroughs that have made whey protein more in-demand than ever before. Topics covered include manufacturing technologies, thermal and chemical modifications, non-food uses, denaturation and interactions, and more. In its broad scope, the book encompasses:

• An up-to-date overview of recent developments and new applications
• Breakdowns of the chemical, nutritional, and functional properties of whey protein
• Commentary on the current and future outlooks of the whey protein market
• Examinations of the methods and manufacturing technologies that enable whey protein recovery
• A full guide to the numerous applications of whey protein in food production and other industries

Whey Protein Production, Chemistry, Functionality and Applications is an unparalleled source of information on this highly adaptable and much sought-after commodity, and is essential reading for food and dairy scientists, researchers and graduate students, and professionals working in the food formulation and dairy processing industries.

1
History of Whey Production and Whey Protein Manufacturing

Mingruo Guo^{1, 2} and Guorong Wang¹

¹ Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA

² College of Food Science, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, People's Republic of China

1.1 Types of Whey

Milk is a complex of colloidal suspension that is comprised of fat globule, casein micelle colloidal and serum or whey phase (Figure 1.1). Whey (sometimes called milk serum) is a yellowish to greenish clear solution strained from milk curd coagulated by either rennet or acid. Whey components are those small molecules that are not involved in the milk curdling and are able to be strained out. The typical whey solid components include lactose, protein (mainly whey protein), and minerals as illustrated in Table 1.1. Whey liquid contains over 50% of whole milk solids, including the majority of minerals, and nearly all whey proteins and lactose.

Figure 1.1 Milk is a complex suspension system comprised of fat globules, casein micelles, and the serum/whey phase. Whey proteins, lactose, and minerals are presented in the serum/whey phase.

Table 1.1 Analytical data of whole milk and whey.

Source: Data adapted from Smithers (2008).

Components	Whole milk	Whey
Casein protein (%, w/v)	2.8	<0.1
Whey protein (%, w/v)	0.7	0.7
Fat (%, w/v)	3.7	0.1
Ash (%, w/v)	0.7	0.5
Lactose (%, w/v)	4.9	4.9
Total solids (%, w/v)	12.8	6.3

Milk coagulated by different method resulted in different types of whey. In general, it can be categorized into sweet whey and acid whey. There is no clear definition between sweet and acid whey, but typically cut off at pH of 5.6. Sweet whey has a pH higher than 5.6, while acid whey is below pH 5.6. Sweet whey is usually from cheese manufacturing (rennet coagulated) and sometimes also called as cheese whey. Acid whey is that from coagulation by fermentation (lactose converted to lactic acid, such as Greek yogurt manufacturing) or by adding acid (acid casein production) (Tunick 2008). The compositional difference between sweet and acid whey is listed in Table 1.2.

Table 1.2 Comparison of sweet and acid whey components.

Source: Data adapted from Tunick (2008).

Components	Sweet whey	Acid whey
Protein (g l^−1)	6–10	6–8
Lactose (g l^−1)	46–52	44–46
Minerals (g l^−1)	2.5–4.7	4.3–7.2
pH	>5.6	<5.6

1.1.1 Cheese Whey

Mammals such as cattle, sheep, and goat have been domesticated for over 10 000 years (Clutton‐Brock 1999; Beja‐Pereira et al. 2006). With the DNA technology, it can be dated back to 17 000 years ago (Troy et al. 2001; Beja‐Pereira et al. 2006). Besides milk, cattle and other mammals were also domesticated for traction, wool, or meat. Eastern Asian and Central Africa domesticated cattle as early as other regions, but with no tradition of milking (Clutton‐Brock 1999). Until today, people from those regions still have more lactose intolerance than people from other regions like Northern Europe and Near East. The practice of milking a critical step during the prehistoric period because it made a sustainable and nutritious food supply without slaughtering the precious livestock. Making cheese was a milestone of the human civilization history. Cheese, as a preserved food, is much easier to keep than fresh milk. The cheese making during ancient times shares much common as the modern technology, typically including natural fermentation, cooking, straining, and drying.

It is believed that the first cheese was probably produced in a ruminant stomach that is used as a storage vessel for milk (Smithers 2008). The enzyme called rennet naturally presented in the stomach curdled the milk into cheese. The milk curd was further strained to remove the whey. This was probably the first whey disposal even we do not know when and where it took place. The archeological evidence of early milking (usually in the form of a pottery milk/cheese residue) have been disclosed across the world (Evershed et al. 2008; Salque et al. 2013; Scott, Robinson, and Wilbey 1998; Yang et al. 2014). The earliest evidence of cheese making in northern Europe was of the sixth millennium BC (Salque et al. 2013), which is a fragment of a pottery sieve that was used for stra...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• List of contributors
• Preface
• 1 History of Whey Production and Whey Protein Manufacturing
• 2 Manufacturing Technologies of Whey Protein Products
• 3 Chemistry of Whey Proteins
• 4 Whey Protein Structure and Denaturation and Interactions with Other Food Components
• 5 Nutritional Properties of Whey Proteins
• 6 Nutritional Applications of Whey Protein
• 7 Whey Protein Functional Properties and Applications in Food Formulation
• 8 Modifications of Whey Protein
• 9 Applications of Whey Protein in Non‐food Uses
• 10 Future Development of Whey Protein Production
• Index
• End User License Agreement