Milk a raw material

To describe the origins and the composition of whey, we need to start by describing the product from which it stems. Which is milk. Milk is a natural food that contains all the substances which man requires for a wholesome diet. We group these substances into the following categories:

• fats
• proteins
• carbohydrates
• minerals
• vitamins.

The substances dissolved or dispersed in the water are called "milk substances". Combined, they are the so-called "solids" which make up 12-13 percent of the weight of milk.

How whey is created

The process by which milk is turned into whey includes the cheese phase. Cheese is created by separating some of the milk substances, i.e. the fat and the majority share of proteins (casein). The remaining liquid is whey, which is made up of approximately 6 percent solids - or around half of the solids contained in milk. Of all the substance categories needed for a balanced diet, the only thing whey does not contain is fat (with the exception of some minor traces). While the protein it contains lacks casein, the remaining share of protein, the so-called whey proteins, is still very valuable in dietary terms.