Dairy
Whey
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk proteins coagulate into curd during cheese or casein production. Once a farm by-product fed to animals or discarded, it is now valued for drinks, baking, fermentation media, ricotta-type whey cheeses, and concentrated protein ingredients. Sweet whey from rennet cheeses differs from acid whey from fresh acid-set products; further processing yields whey powder, concentrate, isolate, and demineralised forms used in food manufacturing and sports nutrition.
Also known as: Siero, Molke / Petit-Lait, Molke
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Breeds, cuts & preparations
Preparation
Characteristic
CommonCharacteristic
Grading systems
United States — US Sweet Whey
US Sweet Whey
United States — US Acid Whey
US Acid Whey
United States — US Whey Protein Concentrate
US Whey Protein Concentrate
United States — US Whey Protein Isolate
US Whey Protein Isolate
History
Cheese-making cultures consumed or used residual whey as a drink, animal feed, and cooking liquid.
Roman and later Italian traditions heated whey to produce ricotta-type whey cheeses.
Large cheese factories generated industrial volumes of whey, prompting early powder and feed applications.
Membrane filtration and drying technologies turned whey into commercial protein concentrates and isolates.
Sports nutrition and clean-label food formulating elevated whey protein as a global commodity ingredient.