It’s important to recognize that not all “whey protein” is created equally. Each manufacturing stream from which whey is derived have uniquely different attributes. What does this mean? Let’s first start with the basics of whey and where it comes from and continue with the higher protein whey ingredients: whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate.
Where Does the Whey Come From?
Whey is the remaining liquid from milk once it’s been
curdled via enzymes or acids. Curdling milk can be done in a number of ways,
but the biggest source of whey is the byproduct of hard cheese making via
rennet. The liquid leftover is roughly 1% protein (chiefly α-lactalbumin,
β-lactoglobulin,
serum albumin, various immunoglobulins and protease peptones), which can be
further processed into the proteins that are seen throughout the food industry:
whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate.
There are three main streams of whey that are available:
1. Cheese manufacturing:
a. Sweet Whey (cheddar, mozzarella, brick and Swiss)
b. Acid Whey (cottage, ricotta, cream and quark cheese)
2. Casein Production:
a. Sweet Whey
b. Acid Whey
3. Greek Yogurt Production:
a. Acid Whey (otherwise known as “Greek Whey”)
When analyzing the content of each of the whey streams available, there are some notable compositional difference. The below table is adapted from Center for Dairy Research:
|
Sweet |
Acid |
Greek |
|
-------------------------------------%--------------------------------------- |
||
Total
Solids |
6.3 |
6.4 |
5.7 |
Protein |
0.8 |
0.5 |
0.3* |
Lactose
|
4.9 |
4.4 |
4.2 |
Minerals
|
0.5 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
|
-----------------------------------mg/100g------------------------------- |
||
Calcium
|
45 |
103 |
123 |
|
|
|
|
pH |
~6.0 |
<5.5 |
~4.2 |
* based
solely on nitrogen content, which includes non-protein nitrogen
Choosing the Right Whey: Sweet or Acid
When sourcing which whey protein concentrate (WPC) or isolate (WPI) is best (i.e. sweet vs. acid), it’s critical to look at the end application and a few important parameters:
Sweet WPC is by far the most heat stable of the whey
proteins. Because of its ability to behave in slightly basic and neutral
applications, WPC is mostly used in infant foods, sports nutrition products,
clinical nutrition, ice cream products, confectionaries, bakery products,
sausages, cheeses and most protein-fortified beverages. Most of the time the
WPC provides protein content, emulsification and creamy dairy flavors.
On the other hand, sweet WPI is typically seen in three
categories: clinical nutrition, sports nutrition and powdered beverages. WPI is
mainly used for the protein content. Since WPI is at least 90% protein,
developers get the most protein for their money spent, but often are restricted
to powdered applications and typical flavors that behave well in the specified pH
range. This is true unless the WPI has been altered in some way.
AMCO Proteins is proud to supply only the highest quality
whey proteins derived from sweet dairy milk. This allows us to provide our
customers the best product for their products, with minimal off flavors and
developmental challenges. With over 60 years of product and application
expertise, our team is primed to help overcome developmental challenges and fortify
your products with protein.