Whey
Encyclopedia
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk
has been curd
led and strained. It is a by-product
of the manufacture of cheese
or casein
and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet
types of hard cheese like cheddar
or Swiss cheese
. Acid whey (also known as "sour whey") is obtained during the making of acid types of cheese such as cottage cheese
.
, when rennet
or an edible acidic substance is added.
, brown cheeses
, Messmör/Prim, and many other products for human consumption. It is also an additive in many processed foods, including breads, crackers, and commercial pastry, and in animal feed
. Whey proteins consist primarily of α-lactalbumin
and β-lactoglobulin
. Depending on the method of manufacture, whey may also contain glycomacropeptides (GMP).
Whey protein
(derived from whey) is often sold as a nutritional supplement. Such supplements are especially popular in the sport of bodybuilding
. In Switzerland
, where cheese production is an important industry, whey is used as the basis for a carbonated soft drink
called Rivella
.
In Iceland, MS manufactures and sells liquid whey as Mysa in 1-liter cartons (energy 78 kJ or 18 kcal, calcium 121 mg, protein 0.4 g, carbohydrates 4.2 g, sodium 55 mg).
Throughout history, whey was a popular drink in inns and coffee houses. When Joseph Priestley
was at college at Daventry Academy
1752–1755, he records that, during the morning of Wednesday 22 May 1754, he “went with a large company to drink whey.” This was probably ‘sack whey’ or ‘wine whey.’ A contemporary recipe for ‘wine whey’ instructs: “Put a pint of skimmed milk, and half a pint of white wine into a basin, let it stand a few minutes, then pour over it a pint of boiling water, let it stand a little, and the curd will gather in a lump, and settle to the bottom, then pour your whey into a China bowl, and put in a lump of sugar, a sprig of balm, or a slice of lemon.”
An alternative recipe is for ‘Cream of Tartar Whey’: "Put a pint of blue milk [blue milk is characterized by the appearance on its surface, eighteen or twenty-four hours after it is drawn, of small, indigo-blue fungal spots that rapidly enlarge until the whole surface is covered with a blue film.] over the fire, when it begins to boil, put in two tea spoonfuls of cream of tartar, then take it off the fire, and let it stand till the curd settles to the bottom of the pan, then put it into a bason to cool, and drink it milk warm.”
Whey was also used in central Spain to enrich bakery products. In some traditions, it was used instead of water to produce bread dough.
can be skimmed from whey. Whey cream is more salty, tangy, and “cheesy” than ("sweet") cream skimmed from milk, and can be used to make whey butter
. Whey cream and butter are suitable for making butter-flavored food, as they have a stronger flavor of their own. They are also cheaper than sweet cream and butter.
, it should be avoided by those who are lactose intolerant. Dried whey, a very common food additive, contains more than 70% lactose. When used as a food additive, whey can contribute to quantities of lactose far above the level of tolerance of most lactose-intolerant individuals.
Liquid whey contains lactose, vitamin
s, protein
, and mineral
s, along with traces of fat
. In 2005, researchers at Lund University
in Sweden
discovered that whey appears to stimulate insulin
release, in type 2 diabetics. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
, they also discovered that whey supplements can help regulate and reduce spikes in blood sugar
levels among people with type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin secretion.
is the name of globular protein
s that can be isolated from whey. It is typically a mixture of globinstagers beta-lactoglobulin
(~65%), alpha-lactalbumin
(~25%), and serum albumin
(~8%), which are soluble in their native culture forms, independent of pH
.
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
has been curd
Curd
Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...
led and strained. It is a by-product
By-product
A by-product is a secondary product derived from a manufacturing process or chemical reaction. It is not the primary product or service being produced.A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be considered waste....
of the manufacture of cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
or casein
Casein
Casein is the name for a family of related phosphoprotein proteins . These proteins are commonly found in mammalian milk, making up 80% of the proteins in cow milk and between 60% and 65% of the proteins in human milk....
and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
types of hard cheese like cheddar
Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
or Swiss cheese
Swiss cheese
Swiss cheese is a generic name in North America for several related varieties of cheese which resemble the Swiss Emmental. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as "eyes". Swiss cheese has a piquant, but not very sharp,...
. Acid whey (also known as "sour whey") is obtained during the making of acid types of cheese such as cottage cheese
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
.
Production
Whey is a co-product of cheese production. It is one of the components that separate from milk after curdlingCurdling
In cookery, curdling is the breaking of an emulsion or colloid into large parts of different composition through the physico-chemical processes of flocculation, creaming, and coalescence...
, when rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
or an edible acidic substance is added.
Uses
Whey is used to produce ricottaRicotta
Ricotta is an Italian dairy product made from sheep milk whey left over from the production of cheese. Although typically referred to as ricotta cheese, ricotta is not properly a cheese because it is not produced by coagulation of casein...
, brown cheeses
Brunost
Brunost , or mesost , mysuostur or myseost is a brown Scandinavian whey cheese. The Norwegian name brunost means brown cheese, and the others mean simply whey cheese...
, Messmör/Prim, and many other products for human consumption. It is also an additive in many processed foods, including breads, crackers, and commercial pastry, and in animal feed
Compound feed
Compound feeds are feedstuffs that are blended from various raw materials and additives. These blends are formulated according to the specific requirements of the target animal...
. Whey proteins consist primarily of α-lactalbumin
Alpha-lactalbumin
Lactalbumin, alpha-, also known as LALBA, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LALBA gene.- Function :α-Lactalbumin is an important whey protein in cow's milk , and is also present in the milk of many other mammalian species...
and β-lactoglobulin
Beta-lactoglobulin
right|thumbnail|300px|Structure of a β-lactoglobulin subunit Ribbons denote the [[secondary structure]], with arrows for beta strands and spirals for alpha-helices. Rendered with [[Kinemage]]...
. Depending on the method of manufacture, whey may also contain glycomacropeptides (GMP).
Whey protein
Whey protein
Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking...
(derived from whey) is often sold as a nutritional supplement. Such supplements are especially popular in the sport of bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
. In Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where cheese production is an important industry, whey is used as the basis for a carbonated soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
called Rivella
Rivella
Rivella is a soft drink from Switzerland, created by Robert Barth in 1952, which is produced from milk whey, and therefore includes ingredients such as lactose, lactic acid and minerals...
.
In Iceland, MS manufactures and sells liquid whey as Mysa in 1-liter cartons (energy 78 kJ or 18 kcal, calcium 121 mg, protein 0.4 g, carbohydrates 4.2 g, sodium 55 mg).
Throughout history, whey was a popular drink in inns and coffee houses. When Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
was at college at Daventry Academy
Daventry Academy
Daventry Academy was a dissenting academy, that is, a school or college set up by English Dissenters. It moved to many locations, but was most associated with Daventry, where its most famous pupil was Joseph Priestley...
1752–1755, he records that, during the morning of Wednesday 22 May 1754, he “went with a large company to drink whey.” This was probably ‘sack whey’ or ‘wine whey.’ A contemporary recipe for ‘wine whey’ instructs: “Put a pint of skimmed milk, and half a pint of white wine into a basin, let it stand a few minutes, then pour over it a pint of boiling water, let it stand a little, and the curd will gather in a lump, and settle to the bottom, then pour your whey into a China bowl, and put in a lump of sugar, a sprig of balm, or a slice of lemon.”
An alternative recipe is for ‘Cream of Tartar Whey’: "Put a pint of blue milk [blue milk is characterized by the appearance on its surface, eighteen or twenty-four hours after it is drawn, of small, indigo-blue fungal spots that rapidly enlarge until the whole surface is covered with a blue film.] over the fire, when it begins to boil, put in two tea spoonfuls of cream of tartar, then take it off the fire, and let it stand till the curd settles to the bottom of the pan, then put it into a bason to cool, and drink it milk warm.”
Whey was also used in central Spain to enrich bakery products. In some traditions, it was used instead of water to produce bread dough.
Whey cream and butter
CreamCream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
can be skimmed from whey. Whey cream is more salty, tangy, and “cheesy” than ("sweet") cream skimmed from milk, and can be used to make whey butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
. Whey cream and butter are suitable for making butter-flavored food, as they have a stronger flavor of their own. They are also cheaper than sweet cream and butter.
Health
Because whey contains lactoseLactose
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar that is found most notably in milk and is formed from galactose and glucose. Lactose makes up around 2~8% of milk , although the amount varies among species and individuals. It is extracted from sweet or sour whey. The name comes from or , the Latin word for milk,...
, it should be avoided by those who are lactose intolerant. Dried whey, a very common food additive, contains more than 70% lactose. When used as a food additive, whey can contribute to quantities of lactose far above the level of tolerance of most lactose-intolerant individuals.
Liquid whey contains lactose, vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s, protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
, and mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, along with traces of fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
. In 2005, researchers at Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
discovered that whey appears to stimulate insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
release, in type 2 diabetics. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal in the field of clinical nutrition.According to the Journal Citation Reports, it has a 2009 impact factor of 6.307, ranking it third among 66 journals in the category "Nutrition & Dietetics".The journal was...
, they also discovered that whey supplements can help regulate and reduce spikes in blood sugar
Blood sugar
The blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally in mammals, the body maintains the blood glucose level at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM , or 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL...
levels among people with type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin secretion.
Protein
Whey proteinWhey protein
Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking...
is the name of globular protein
Globular protein
Globular proteins, or spheroproteins are one of the two main protein classes, comprising "globe"-like proteins that are more or less soluble in aqueous solutions...
s that can be isolated from whey. It is typically a mixture of globinstagers beta-lactoglobulin
Beta-lactoglobulin
right|thumbnail|300px|Structure of a β-lactoglobulin subunit Ribbons denote the [[secondary structure]], with arrows for beta strands and spirals for alpha-helices. Rendered with [[Kinemage]]...
(~65%), alpha-lactalbumin
Alpha-lactalbumin
Lactalbumin, alpha-, also known as LALBA, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LALBA gene.- Function :α-Lactalbumin is an important whey protein in cow's milk , and is also present in the milk of many other mammalian species...
(~25%), and serum albumin
Serum albumin
Serum albumin, often referred to simply as albumin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ALB gene.Serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein in mammals. Albumin is essential for maintaining the osmotic pressure needed for proper distribution of body fluids between intravascular...
(~8%), which are soluble in their native culture forms, independent of pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
.