USE OF ULTRAFILTRATION/REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEMS FOR THE CONCENTRATION AND FRACTIONATION OF WHEY

Abstract

SUMMARY– Existing ultrafiltration/reverse osmosis technology provides a means of fractionating and concentrating cheese whey into liquid fractions containing a variety of protein: lactose ratios. These ratios may range from about 1:8 (raw whey) through 3:5 (a “skim milk equivalent”) to 2:1 or higher. If a two‐ or three‐stage ultrafiltration system were used with water injection between stages, a product with a protein:lactose ratio of 20:1 could be obtained. The exact protein:lactose ratio in the concentrate stream is a function of the permeability and selectivity characteristics of the membrane, and the system design and operating conditions. Some of the sanitation problems associated with the introduction of these new unit operations in the dairy and food processing industries are also treated at length.