Table 9.2 Overview of acid whey valorisation
Use
Research and innovation Level of commercial
potential
Technology and
investment requirements
Place in the waste
pyramid
Use examples
Animal feed Acid whey is
commonly used for
animal feed. Important
nutrients are
maintained during
processing and drying
using modern
technology. This makes
the product highly
palatable and digestible
for calves, goat kids and
lambs.
Acid whey is especially
suitable for piglets due
to its acidity and
nutrients. It is mainly a
source of energy (milk
sugar) rather than
protein.
High level of
commercial potential
due to the wide range
of different physical
parameters available in
whey products.
Feed producers need
high-quality processing
equipment, storage
space, silos,
transportation and
warehousing.
Reuse/upcycling of
nutrients in the whey.
The US yoghurt
producer Chobani has
adopted advanced
filtering systems in its
Idaho and NY plants and
provides whey as
supplemental feed to
local farmers.