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The Composition of Whey

Whey is a by-product of the process of making cheese from milk. The cheese making process produces the whey in liquid form. The composition of whey depends upon the type of milk used as well as the type of cheese being made. It does, however, contain a fairly predictable list of ingredients.

  1. Cheese Production

    • The process of making cheese begins with either pasteurized or raw milk. Use of raw milk requires aging for a minimum of 60 days under federal law to reduce the possibility of diseases from the milk. The milk comes from either a cow, sheep, goat or water buffalo. For some cheeses, a flavoring is added. Bacterial cultures, known as lactic acid bacteria, provide the flavor and texture to cheese and assist in the coagulation process. Pasteurized milk is heated to remove any organisms and prepare it for the cultures. The milk is then cooled and the bacteria added. The enzyme rennet is added which causes the milk proteins to produce. The curd is then heated and the liquid that is drained off is whey.

    Composition

    • Fresh whey is mostly water, containing 94.25 percent according to GEA Niro, based upon conventional cheese production. Proteins comprise 0.80 percent of the whey, or 13 percent of the dry matter. Lactose, a sugar found in milk, is 4.3 percent of the liquid or 75 percent of the dry matter. Ash comprises 0.55 percent of the liquid and 10 percent of the dry. The final part, fat, makes up 0.10 percent liquid and 2 percent dry.

    Whey Proteins

    • Cow's milk contains two types of protein: casein and whey. Casein proteins contain phosphorus and whey does not. In cow's milk, approximately 82 percent of the proteins classify as casein and the remaining 18 percent as whey. The main whey protein is B-lactoglobulin which is believed to be a carrier of vitamin A, according to Cornell University. Other proteins include a-lactalbumin, blood serum albumin and many other minor proteins. The functions of all these proteins is not known. They do assist in binding water which makes them useful in yogurt production.

    Uses

    • Whey protein is used as a food supplement and to increase athletic performance, according to WebMD. Another use is as an alternative to milk for infant formulas. Many weight loss programs use whey as one of their components. It can also be used for asthma, high cholesterol and to prevent allergies.

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