Whey

Whey (also whey, cheese milk, Scots, Sirte, Waddike, Wedicke or Zieger called ) is the aqueous greenish-yellow residual liquid produced during the manufacture of cheese. It is the liquid portion that can be separated after the coagulation of the milk into cheese or curd. There are two types of whey: the sweet whey (also rennet ), which arises when one lays thick milk with rennet to make cheese, and sour whey, which arises when treating milk with lactic acid bacteria.

Properties

Whey consists of 94% water, 4-5 % of milk sugar and is virtually fat-free. In addition, it contains lactic acid, vitamins B1, B2 ( this causes the green color ), and B6, as well as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and other minerals, but above all 0.6 to 1 % whey protein. Whey contains significantly less protein than milk. In particular, they, unlike milk does not contain casein. In milk, casein, however, is the main protein.

Whey has a laxative effect.

Use

Agriculture

Whey is used today mainly in pig, especially as whey powder. Therefore, many dairies are working closely with pigsties.

Cheese production

Sweet whey is used for the production of cheese whey. Whey cheese is almost fat free. The flocculent mass, which settles after heating the sweet whey on the surface, is the starting material for the production of whey cheese. Often, the sweet whey is still acidified. Very well known are the ricotta cheese, forties, the Corsican Brocciu or the Norwegian brown cheese.

Drinks

Whey is added to various soft drinks (eg Rivella, this contains the milk serum, or Lattella ). It is the raw material for the production of milk serum, an almost colorless liquid that is obtained by separating the whey in the remaining egg whites. Milk serum contains only the water-soluble constituents of milk: lactose, minerals and water-soluble vitamins. Substituting the milk serum fruit concentrate, spices, flavors and sugar, you get a refreshing whey drink. Lately provide various beverage manufacturers also cola, apple juice and orange sodas from whey forth to deal with the whey mixed product the German deposit law. The drinks made ​​with whey are characterized, however, by a judgment of the LG Dusseldorf from 29 October 2010 ( AZ 38 O 26/10 ) no longer a deposit but because they do not differ in taste or hardly of similar soft drinks, which are produced without whey.

Other uses for food

At the end of the 19th century, it was touted as an elixir. It created numerous sanatoria, to cure diseases of civilization. The whey cure program and was part of that life reform movement.

If sweet whey stirred and reduced at high heat, created the slightly caramelized signal, which is used as a regional confection.

Industrial use

Whey in cosmetics is also used. It is stored for the most part as a dry powder for industrial use. The protein-containing whey powder is used for example in bakeries, in the convenience food manufacturing and in the application itself dairies. From whey was already - brewed beer - in times of need. Whey may be used as a fertilizer. Another use of the whey as a complex medium ( carbon source ) in biotechnology.

In addition, whey is used as nitrogen sources in the construction industry to reduce the flammability of the insulation material wood chips into energy efficient houses. In this case, the wood chips are soaked in the whey and dried.