Production and processing

Whey is a by-product of cheese, quark and casein production, i.e. it is created through the precipitation of casein in milk or skimmed milk and the subsequent mechanical separation of the precipitated casein together with the remaining fat. The different types of whey are classified according to the method of precipitation used (see Table 1). Cheese is made using rennet-enzyme precipitation. The whey this generates is called sweet whey. Curd-cheese and quark products are made using a precipitation method which involves adding bacteria that produce lactic acid. The whey that results of this product is acid whey. Casein is produced by the direct addition of inorganic acids to the milk, which creates a very special type of acid whey - casein whey.

Table 1
Product		Type of Whey
Cheese		sweet whey
Curd cheese		acid whey
Quark		acid whey
Casein		casein whey

Quality aspects

Product quality is as important to the processing of whey as it is in milk production. Which is why a system of logistics and processing techniques is in place to ensure that whey is processed in as fresh a state as possible and handled in conditions that are hygiene standard throughout the food industry. The first and foremost principle of whey processing (as is the case when processing milk) is to strictly uphold the consistently good quality that meets the criteria demanded by customers. All whey processing plants maintain well-equipped laboratories, staffed with highly qualified personnel, where all necessary monitoring and testing can be performed.