Whey collecting as newly made cheese drains

Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled 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.

[edit] Production

Whey is a co-product of cheese production. It is one of the components which separates from milk after curdling, when rennet or an edible acidic substance is added.

[edit] Uses

Whey is used to produce ricotta, 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 primarily consist 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.

Historically, whey used to be 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.”^[1] 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 bason, 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.”^[2]

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, which 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.”^[3]

[edit] Whey cream and butter

Cream 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.^[4]

[edit] Health

Liquid whey contains lactose, vitamins, protein and minerals along with traces of fat. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden discovered that whey appears to stimulate insulin release. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,^[5] 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. However, like all products that result from the manufacture of cheese, whey can be a migraine trigger.^{[citation needed]} The presence of whey in processed foods can be particularly surprising because it is commonly added to products that do not normally contain cheese derivatives when made at home.

Commercial whey protein shakes are often consumed after workouts by people who are trying to gain muscle mass. Whey digests very rapidly; therefore the amino acids enter the blood stream faster than other protein sources. Carbohydrates are also recommended post workout; to replenish glycogen stores and boost insulin release as well.

[edit] Whey protein

Whey protein is the name for a collection of globular proteins that can be isolated from massive 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. Whey has the highest Biological Value (BV) of any known protein.^{[citation needed]} Whey protein has an even higher bioavailability than egg white protein (BV = 98), which is considered the "gold standard" of protein, and has a bioavailability rating of 100. Bioavailability refers to how efficiently a substance will be digested and absorbed through the villi in the small intestine into the blood stream while maintaining its original form.

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

• Learn about whey, its manufacture and uses
• Whey Protein: Waste Product of the Past is Nutritional Powerhouse of the Future
• Milk Allergy & Intolerance
• Whey Allergic - resources and lists of foods for the whey allergic
• Nutrition Facts - Dairy Products
• Protein And Exercise
• Resources about Whey Protein Consumption