PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The dairy industry is one of the primary sources of industrial effluent. Global whey production, the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained, is estimated at 180-190 million tonnes annually. According to estimates at the time of project application in 2016, only 40% of whey was further processed in the EU, especially for smaller producers. The remainder is waste with high chemical oxygen demand (COD). While sweet whey has several commercial uses, the acid (sour) whey often represents a problem for producers. Discharge to wastewater treatment plants is prohibited, and biogas plants are often unwilling to accept whey or charge a high price. According to estimates in 2016, the acid whey was often discharged into sewage system (approximately 150 000 tonnes/year in Slovenia alone). This represents an enormous environmental burden as this by-product has the potential to deplete oxygen levels in water, with repercussions for human health. It is also a non-rational use of valuable natural whey components, including the protein lactoferrin, the market demand for which is very high. Extraction of proteins from acid whey using existing approaches is not technologically feasible and new solutions are needed.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the LIFE for Acid Whey project was to demonstrate a new technology for the extraction of high added-value proteins (including lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and immunoglobulins) from waste whey streams. The Fast-flow Monolith Based Whey Protein Fractionation process was expected to extract lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and immunoglobulins in an economically-viable way.
Further specific project objectives were to:
- Reduce the environmental burden of waste acid whey;
- Provide income to small and medium-sized dairies from the whey by-product instead of incurring costs for its treatment or disposal; and
- Help meet the growing market demand for specific proteins, providing high-quality products at competitive prices compared to alternative production options.
The project's objectives are strongly linked to various resource efficiency-related policies and legislation, as outlined in the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe and in the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy. LIFE for Acid Whey aimed to help the dairy industry comply with the Industrial Emissions Directive by introducing a high-tech solution for the extraction of important milk proteins from milk-processing waste streams.
RESULTS
The LIFE for Acid Whey project demonstrated an innovative technology, Fastflow Monolith Based Whey Protein Fractionation, for extracting in economical viable way lactoferrin and other high added-value proteins from surplus aid whey streams. It constructed a pilot plant that was able to process 20 m3 of whey a day. The patented extraction process uses monolith chromatographic columns made by the company Bia Separations.
Independent analysis confirmed that the process produces very high quality lactoferrin, surpassing commercially available food-grade lactoferrin. The solution can help increase the profitability of the EU dairy industry by introducing a high-tech solution for the extraction of important milk proteins from surplus streams of milk processing.
Furthermore, the project identified and tested several other innovative uses for the residual whey that remains after lactoferrin and similar proteins are extracted, as a way of reducing the amount that is transported to the biogas energy plant. It showed that this residual material could be used as a growing medium for the cultivation of various kinds of lactic acid bacteria and yeast, such as kefir grains, lactococcal strains producing bacteriocin nisin and propionibacterium strain for the production of vitamin B12.
Finally, the project developed a product from the surplus whey for composting household biological waste, along with a shampoo product, whey too Pretty. Both products were manufactured on a pilot scale and used for promotional purposes at various events. These uses of surplus whey further increase the potential socio-economic benefit of the project, providing an additional source of income for the dairy industry.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
