Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

Chapter 3 – Milk and dairy product composition 87
Whey is rich in whey proteins, water-soluble vitamins and lactose. Two types of
whey exist: acid whey, obtained during the production of acid-coagulated cheeses
such as cottage cheese, and sweet whey, from the manufacture of rennet-coagulated
cheese. Acid whey contains twice as much calcium as sweet whey.
Whey, condensed (0890): Whey paste.
Whey, dry (0900): Used in both food and animal feed.
The CODEX standard for whey powders (FAO and WHO, 2010i), defines the
composition of sweet whey as follows:
• lactose: reference content of 61 percent
• milk protein: minimum content 10 percent
• milk fat: reference content 2 percent
• water: maximum content 5 percent
• ash: maximum content 9.5 percent.
The composition of acid whey is defined as follows:
• lactose: reference content of 61 percent
• milk protein: minimum content 7 percent
• milk fat: reference content 2 percent
• water: maximum content 4.5 percent
• ash: maximum content 15 percent.
Whey cheese (0905): No definition given.
The CODEX standard for whey cheeses (FAO and WHO, 2010j) states that:
“Whey Cheeses are solid, semi-solid, or soft products which are principally
obtained through either of the following processes:
(1) the concentration of whey and the moulding of the concentrated product;
(2) the coagulation of whey by heat with or without the addition of acid.
In each case, the whey may be pre-concentrated prior to the further
concentration of whey or coagulation of the whey proteins. The process may
also include the addition of milk, cream, or other raw materials of milk
origin before or after concentration or coagulation. The ratio of whey protein
to casein in the product obtained through the coagulation of whey shall be
distinctly higher than that of milk.
The product obtained through the coagulation of whey may either be ripened
or unripened.”
It also gives the following standards for fat in whey cheeses (dry-matter basis):
• creamed whey: cheese minimum 33 percent
• whey cheese: minimum 10 percent and less than 33 percent
• skimmed-whey cheese: less than 10 percent.
Lactose (0173): Also known as milk sugar. Produced commercially from whey.
Other products produced from whey include whey protein concentrate and
whey protein isolate.