A recent glance on the valorisation of cheese whey for industrial prerogative: high‐value‐added products development and integrated reutilising strategies
Umm‐e‐Tazeem Arshad, Ali Hassan, Talha Ahmad, Maha Naeem, Maryam Chaudhary, Syed Qamar Abbas, Muhammad Atif Randhawa, Tatiana Colombo Pimentel, Adriano G. Cruz, Rana Muhammad Aadil
Abstract
Summary This review article explores recent advancements in converting cheese whey (CW) into high‐value‐added products, focusing on producing biofuels, bioelectricity and different whey‐based food items, as well as other potential uses. Additionally, new integrated reutilising strategies are proposed to utilise CW to develop innovative products with various applications, mainly focusing on sustainable alternatives at the industrial level. CW could be utilised with the help of different processes, for example separation of main protein components from cheese whey, like separation and purification of α‐lactalbumin, production of polysaccharides (lactose and lactulose), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), other organic acids and bioethanol. Besides these products, CW could also be utilised in the fermentation process, in the production of alcoholic drinks (whey sprite and white whisky), in the production of whey protein concentrate and as poultry feed. Biotechnological approaches for whey utilisation are the most recent alternatives. They can produce important products for the industries, such as whey‐based products, bioplastics, biofuels, bioelectricity, organic acids, bioactive compounds and whey‐based food items.