From an ecological problem to a source of bioactive compounds: Whey from dairy industry

PEROTTI M. C.; VÉNICA C.; BLAZIC MARIJANA

Zadar

Conferencia; 7th International Professional and Scientific Conference. Occupational Safety and Health.; 2018

Whey is an abundant by-product of the dairy industry. Global production of liquid whey from cheese and casein estimate at around 190 million tons/year. United States and European Union produce approx. 70% of whey in the world and are the major market for their derived products. The perception of whey as a pollutant, due to the high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), has changed with the discovery of valuable constituents with bioactive properties which have multiple applications. Several technologies are employed for its obtaining; membrane processes are the most widely used. In this presentation, we will focus on the different types of whey, the physicochemical composition, the technologies used mainly for the production of peptides and oligosaccharides, and their applications.