Valorisation of whey 183
the magnitude and the direction of impacts may be very different. As such,
evaluating the valorisation of by- products cannot be performed in isolation. A
usage which is conventionally seen as higher order, such as human food or
medicines, may from a holistic perspective be less sustainable than solutions
with lower levels of sophistication. While by- products should not be wasted,
the development of sustainable valorisation pathways requires sophisticated
assessment tools, such as life cycle assessment.
9.6 Conclusion
There are several potential valorisation pathways for acid whey, including as a
component in animal feed, nutritional products, bakery products and beverages. Yet the dominant use today is as animal feed or as a biogas substrate in
unprocessed form. Nutrilac
®
is a new whey protein, which enables the use of
acid whey in a range of high- value products. In contrast, virtually all sweet
whey is upcycled to value- added products, notably a variety of whey proteins
and whey permeates used in the manufacturing of nutritional and functional
foods. It has become a scarce resource.
Whey is the central side stream in the dairy sector and has been utilised
differently in Denmark and Norway. Arla Foods, based in Denmark, has
a stronger focus on utilising by- products, enabled by international market
connections, R&D capabilities, a series of strategic domestic and international
investments and the size of the regional dairy industry. A key factor has been
the establishment of a subsidiary dedicated to whey processing, product
development and marketing. Through these and other means, Arla Foods has
gained a significant share of the market for whey- based ingredients, taking a
leading position in the global value chain for these products. In Norway, the
agriculture sector has mainly supplied the domestic market; in this context,
TINE has focused on developing and manufacturing a variety of fresh dairy
products for Norwegian consumers, rather than adding more value to its side
streams. Hence, TINE lacks the advanced knowledge of whey products and
processing techniques, the market connections and possibly the milk resource
base, which are a necessary part of being a lead firm in the ingredients value
chain. Instead it plays the role of ‘captive’ supplier of generic whey products
to Arla Foods’ ingredients subsidiary, AFI.
Even though AFI has found an efficient way of dealing with acid whey,
the solution might also create a lock- in that hinders potential new solutions.
Ideas that are generated in individual and possibly across industrial sectors may
guide TINE in utilising their acid whey in innovative ways, although it lacks
the systematic processes to search for these solutions.
Using whey as a raw material in production processes can not only
improve a company’s sustainable competitive advantage; it also aids the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy. Innovation in waste systems results
in lower disparate rates while increasing the ability to upcycle whey, adding
value to by- products in the dairy value chain. When considering alternative
the magnitude and the direction of impacts may be very different. As such,
evaluating the valorisation of by- products cannot be performed in isolation. A
usage which is conventionally seen as higher order, such as human food or
medicines, may from a holistic perspective be less sustainable than solutions
with lower levels of sophistication. While by- products should not be wasted,
the development of sustainable valorisation pathways requires sophisticated
assessment tools, such as life cycle assessment.
9.6 Conclusion
There are several potential valorisation pathways for acid whey, including as a
component in animal feed, nutritional products, bakery products and beverages. Yet the dominant use today is as animal feed or as a biogas substrate in
unprocessed form. Nutrilac
®
is a new whey protein, which enables the use of
acid whey in a range of high- value products. In contrast, virtually all sweet
whey is upcycled to value- added products, notably a variety of whey proteins
and whey permeates used in the manufacturing of nutritional and functional
foods. It has become a scarce resource.
Whey is the central side stream in the dairy sector and has been utilised
differently in Denmark and Norway. Arla Foods, based in Denmark, has
a stronger focus on utilising by- products, enabled by international market
connections, R&D capabilities, a series of strategic domestic and international
investments and the size of the regional dairy industry. A key factor has been
the establishment of a subsidiary dedicated to whey processing, product
development and marketing. Through these and other means, Arla Foods has
gained a significant share of the market for whey- based ingredients, taking a
leading position in the global value chain for these products. In Norway, the
agriculture sector has mainly supplied the domestic market; in this context,
TINE has focused on developing and manufacturing a variety of fresh dairy
products for Norwegian consumers, rather than adding more value to its side
streams. Hence, TINE lacks the advanced knowledge of whey products and
processing techniques, the market connections and possibly the milk resource
base, which are a necessary part of being a lead firm in the ingredients value
chain. Instead it plays the role of ‘captive’ supplier of generic whey products
to Arla Foods’ ingredients subsidiary, AFI.
Even though AFI has found an efficient way of dealing with acid whey,
the solution might also create a lock- in that hinders potential new solutions.
Ideas that are generated in individual and possibly across industrial sectors may
guide TINE in utilising their acid whey in innovative ways, although it lacks
the systematic processes to search for these solutions.
Using whey as a raw material in production processes can not only
improve a company’s sustainable competitive advantage; it also aids the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy. Innovation in waste systems results
in lower disparate rates while increasing the ability to upcycle whey, adding
value to by- products in the dairy value chain. When considering alternative