Whey as the foundation for high-quality nutrition
Milk contains numerous components that we introduce as separate ingredients in the market or incorporate into our products. Whey protein is one such component. Whey is a byproduct generated during cheese production, and it contains not only minerals and lactose but also high-quality proteins. How do you extract high concentrations of protein from whey, and how do you market it? Henryk Reurich led the R&D project.
Proteins contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and to the growth and preservation of muscle mass. Products rich in proteins are used by athletes, as well as by patients with specific needs.
Microscopic Pores
Through the clever combination of existing techniques, we are capable of achieving a protein concentrate of 90 percent. This is something to be proud of when you consider that milk contains only 1 percent whey protein. We accomplish this through several filtration steps involving microscopic pores. The purer the concentrate, the higher the protein concentration, and the more challenging it becomes to remove the remaining components. It is not technically unique to produce whey protein in such high concentrations, but it is challenging to consistently do so, ensuring that the final product always has the exact same composition and properties.
We are capable of achieving a protein concentrate of 90 percent, this is something to be proud of
Infant Nutrition
In addition to its application in sports and medical nutrition, the production of high-concentration protein powder has also yielded a new product. During the process of extracting proteins from whey, specific milk fat structures are released. These milk fat structures are a byproduct. However, they possess several specific properties that are interesting for use in infant nutrition. By processing these milk fat structures intelligently, they become highly pure and can be added to our infant nutrition.
Collaboration
The high-concentration protein powder obtained from whey is the result of collaboration among various disciplines within FrieslandCampina. Besides R&D, departments such as Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain have been closely involved from the beginning. This collaboration has made this project highly successful.