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Whey protein

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Containers of whey protein being sold at a health food store

Whey protein is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. The proteins consist of α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin and immunoglobulins.[1] Glycomacropeptide also makes up the third largest component but is not a protein. Whey protein is commonly marketed as a protein supplement.

Production of whey

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Whey is left over when milk is coagulated during the process of cheese production. Coagulation can happen by adding acid or rennet. It is a 5% solution of lactose in water and contains the water-soluble proteins of milk as well as some lipid content.[2] Processing can be done by simple drying, or the relative protein content can be increased by removing the lactose, lipids and other non-protein materials.[3]

The main method to extract protein from whey is membrane filtration. A variety of membrane pore sizes can be used to selectively let different components of whey go through or be retained. Whey can be passed through "microfiltration" which blocks bacteria, casein micelles, and fat, then passed through "ultrafiltration" (UF) which blocks proteins. The part that does not go through UF is spray-dried into a concentrated whey protein.[4] There are also other ways to concentrate protein using filtration membranes.[5]

Ion exchange chromatography is another major method for whey protein extraction. Methods in development include aqueous two-phase extraction and magnetic separation.[5][6]

Commercial development

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By the late 1960s, increasing volumes of whey had become an economic and environmental problem for the New Zealand dairy industry, creating an incentive to develop higher-value uses for its whey protein.[7][8] In September 1969, Dr. Alex Malaspina, vice-president responsible for new product development and quality control at The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, approached the New Zealand Dairy Board in search of a reliable supply of soluble whey protein for acidic, carbonated beverages, with potential demand estimated at as much as 10,000 tons annually.[9][10] At the time, the New Zealand industry did not know how to manufacture such a product because its existing heat-precipitated whey protein was insoluble and unsuitable for beverages.[9][11] The Dairy Board and the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute (NZDRI) investigated several separation technologies, and Malaspina, Dr. R. Fenton-May from Coca-Cola, and NZDRI engineer Dave Woodhams examined ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and other processes in the United States.[12][13] Woodhams recommended ultrafiltration, and in September 1970 NZDRI produced a whey protein concentrate containing 65% protein and meeting Coca-Cola's requirements for beverage solubility and clarity.[14]

Malaspina subsequently worked with Brazilian food scientist Roberto H. Moretti on a process for producing whey protein suitable for acidic beverages.[15][16] Their U.S. patent, Preparation of a Whey Protein Concentrate, combined pretreatment and ultrafiltration with water injection and cation exchange to produce a low-mineral, acid-soluble whey protein concentrate suitable for beverage formulations.[15][16] The water-injection step, or diafiltration, adds water during ultrafiltration so that additional lactose, minerals, and other permeable constituents are removed, while retaining the protein.[17][13][8] Diafiltration subsequently became an important method for manufacturing higher-protein whey protein concentrates and whey protein isolates.[17][13][8] The New Zealand Dairy Board received a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the Coca-Cola process with New Zealand whey.[18]

The Dairy Board and NZDRI continued investing in whey-protein processing and product development.[19] The work initiated for Coca-Cola generated deep expertise and provided a technological base for developing whey protein concentrates for other applications and markets.[19] In 1982, the industry established the Whey Products Corporation to coordinate whey processing, investment, and marketing across the cooperative dairy sector.[20][21] This approach enabled New Zealand to become a leading supplier of technically demanding whey-protein products during the 1980s and 1990s.[20][21] The industry's centralized whey-products operations were later folded back into the Dairy Board, which merged with Kiwi Co-operative Dairies and New Zealand Dairy Group in 2001 to form Fonterra.[22] Fonterra's whey proteins have been key ingredients in foods and nutritional products sold around the world, including sports, medical, and beverage applications, and Fonterra continues to be a leading global supplier of whey protein.[23][8][24][25]

Whey-protein beverages

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Whey-protein beverages were central to these technological developments that began in 1969, and Malaspina played a seminal role in their early commercialization.[26][15] His approach to the Dairy Board concerned soluble whey protein specifically for carbonated acidic beverages, and he continued to press for sufficient quantities for market testing as Coca-Cola and the New Zealand industry developed beverage-grade whey protein concentrate.[26] Coca-Cola also installed an ultrafiltration pilot plant in Brazil specifically to produce whey protein concentrate.[26] That development program led to Tai, a whey-fortified, orange-flavored carbonated beverage launched by Coca-Cola in Brazil in 1971.[27][28][26] Malaspina's nutritional beverage program subsequently led to Sansón, a pasteurized whey-protein beverage marketed by Coca-Cola in Mexico.[29][30][31][32]

These early products anticipated the much broader use of whey protein in nutritional beverages.[33][34] By the late 1980s, whey proteins were gaining commercial importance in sports nutrition, weight management, and medical nutrition, with sports and nutritional beverages becoming significant applications for whey protein concentrate and, later, for whey protein isolate.[33][34] Improvements in membrane filtration, diafiltration, and protein fractionation now enable manufacturers to produce whey ingredients with higher protein concentrations, improved solubility, and other properties tailored to different beverage formulations.[24][13][8] As a result, whey protein is now widely used in sports and recovery drinks, meal-replacement beverages, medical nutrition, and other products, completing its transition from a dairy by-product into a major beverage ingredient.[24][33][34]

Microbial production

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Strawberry-flavored vegan cream cheese, made with non-animal whey protein produced by microbes

Microbes have been engineered to produce proteins similar or even "bioidentical" to whey.[35] Various companies offer microbe-produced whey and cheese; however, none of these companies stipulate the protein composition of their products, but they do contain some of the genes needed to make whey proteins.[36][37]

Composition

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The protein in cow's milk is approximately 20% whey and 80% casein.[38] The protein in human milk is approximately 60% whey and 40% casein.[39] The protein fraction in whey constitutes approximately 10% of the total dry solids in whey. This protein is typically a mixture of beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), bovine serum albumin (~8%) (see also serum albumin), and immunoglobulins.[40] The third largest fragment of whey protein isolate derived from sweet whey is glycomacropeptide or GMP. However, GMP lacks the secondary structure necessary for it to be classified as a protein and is considered a long amino acid chain. These peptides are all soluble in water in their native forms.

Major forms and uses

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Four major types of whey protein are produced commercially:[41]

  • Whey protein concentrates (WPC) have typically low - though not absent - levels of fat and cholesterol. They also contain carbohydrates in the form of lactose.
  • Whey protein isolates (WPI) are processed to remove fat and lactose, and as a result, WPI powders are typically over 90% protein by dry weight. Like WPC, WPI are mild and slightly milky in taste.
  • Whey protein hydrolysates (WPH) are whey proteins that are predigested and partially hydrolyzed for the purpose of easier metabolizing. Their cost is generally higher than WPC and WPI.[3] Highly hydrolysed whey may be less allergenic than other forms of whey, due to its smaller peptide chains. For this reason it is a common constituent in hypoallergenic baby milk formulas and medical foods.[42]
  • Native whey protein is extracted from skim milk, rather than being collected as a byproduct of cheese production. This type of whey does not contain glycomacropeptide, which is formed only after the addition of rennet.[43][44][45]

There is evidence that whey protein is more bio-available than casein or soy protein.[46][47]

Whey protein is commonly marketed as a dietary supplement, typically sold in powdered form for mixing into beverages.[48] Whey protein is also often used as a thickener to improve texture and decrease syneresis in yogurt. Greek Yogurt, which increased in popularity in the early twenty‐first century, is typically high in protein.[49]

Use in health

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The primary usage of whey protein supplements is for muscle growth and development. Eating whey protein supplements before exercise will not assist athletic performance, but it will enhance the body's protein recovery and synthesis after exercise because it increases the free amino acids in the body's free amino acid pool.[49] The antioxidant activity of whey protein helps to reduce oxidative stress associated with hypothyroidism.[50] In 2010, a panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel examined the effects of whey protein on weight loss (via both fat loss and increased satiety) and strength and muscle building. The panel concluded that there's no evidence supporting any weight loss claims and that whey protein is roughly as effective for building strength, muscle and lean body mass as other protein sources.[48]

Although whey proteins are responsible for some milk allergies, the major allergens in milk are the caseins.[51][52]

Whey cheese

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Whey cheese, such as ricotta, is produced from whey and is rich in whey protein (except for brunost). The whey protein accounts for about 40–45% of the solids content of ricotta.

References

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  1. ↑ Farrell, HM; Jimenez-Flores, R; Bleck, GT; et al. (2004). "Nomenclature of the Proteins of Cows' Milk—Sixth Revision". Journal of Dairy Science. 87 (6): 1641–1674. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(04)73319-6. ISSN 0022-0302. PMID 15453478.
  2. ↑ "Whey." The Encyclopædia Britannica. 15th ed. 1994
  3. 1 2 Foegeding, EA; Davis, JP; Doucet, D; McGuffey, MK (2002). "Advances in modifying and understanding whey protein functionality". Trends in Food Science & Technology. 13 (5): 151–159. doi:10.1016/S0924-2244(02)00111-5.
  4. ↑ Tunick MH (2008). "Whey Protein Production and Utilization." (abstract). In Onwulata CI, Huth PJ (eds.). Whey processing, functionality and health benefits. Ames, Iowa: Blackwell Publishing; IFT Press. pp. 1–13.
  5. 1 2 Buchanan, Dominic; Martindale, Wayne; Romeih, Ehab; Hebishy, Essam (May 2023). "Recent advances in whey processing and valorisation: Technological and environmental perspectives". International Journal of Dairy Technology. 76 (2): 291–312. doi:10.1111/1471-0307.12935.
  6. ↑ Nicolás, Paula; Ferreira, María Luján; Lassalle, Verónica (2019). "A review of magnetic separation of whey proteins and potential application to whey proteins recovery, isolation and utilization". Journal of Food Engineering. 246: 7–15. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2018.10.021. hdl:11336/101902.
  7. ↑ MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 13–15.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Chen, G.Q.; et al. (2023). "Separation Technologies for Whey Protein Fractionation". Food Engineering Reviews. 15: 438–465.
  9. 1 2 MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 36–37.
  10. ↑ "Alex Malaspina". Prabook. 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ Richert, S.H. (1975). "Current Milk Protein Manufacturing Processes". Journal of Dairy Science. 58: 985–993.
  12. ↑ MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 37–38.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Fenton-May, R.I.; Hill Jr., C.G.; Amundson, C.H. (1971). "Use of Ultrafiltration/Reverse Osmosis Systems for the Concentration and Fractionation of Whey". Journal of Food Science. 36: 14–21.
  14. ↑ MacGibbon, John. Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. pp. 47–48.
  15. 1 2 3 Alex Malaspina and Roberto H. Moretti, “Preparation of a Whey Protein Concentrate,” U.S. Patent No. 3,896,241, issued July 22, 1975.
  16. 1 2 MacGibbon, John. Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. pp. 57–58.
  17. 1 2 MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 35, 214–215.
  18. ↑ MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. p. 58.
  19. 1 2 MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 59, 66–67.
  20. 1 2 MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. pp. 18, 163–164, 194–195.
  21. 1 2 GATT, International Dairy Arrangement: Status Report on the World Market for Dairy Products, DPC/W/54 (1986).
  22. ↑ MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 173–175.
  23. ↑ https://www.industryresearch.biz/market-reports/whey-protein-ingredients-market-110636 (stating that Fonterra was the top global supplier of whey protein in 2026).
  24. 1 2 3 Reig, M.; Vecino, X.; Cortina, J.L. (2021). "Use of Membrane Technologies in Dairy Industry". Foods. 10: 2768.
  25. ↑ MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 112–149, 185–195.
  26. 1 2 3 4 MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 36–38, 43–44, 56–57.
  27. ↑ Holsinger, V.H.; Posati, L.P.; DeVilbiss, E.D. (1974). "Whey Beverages: A Review". Journal of Dairy Science. 57: 849–859.
  28. ↑ Mathur, B.N.; Shahani, K.M. (1979). "Use of Total Whey Constituents for Human Food". Journal of Dairy Science. 62: 99–105.
  29. ↑ Alex Malaspina, “The Coca-Cola Export Corporation’s Nutritional Beverage Project,” Third Western Hemisphere Nutrition Congress (1971)
  30. ↑ Marshall Loeb, “Executive View: The Strength of Samson,” Time, July 30, 1979.
  31. ↑ “Food Pact,” The Washington Post, August 23, 1979.
  32. ↑ MacGibbon, John (2014). Whey to Go: Whey Protein Concentrate: A New Zealand Success Story. Ngaio Press. pp. 36–38, 58.
  33. 1 2 3 Zall, Robert R. (1984). "Trends In Whey Fractionation and Utilization, A Global Perspective". Journal of Dairy Science. 67: 2621–2629.
  34. 1 2 3 Matthews, M.E. (1984). "Whey Protein Recovery Processes and Products". Journal of Dairy Science (67): 2680–2692.
  35. ↑ Lerissa Zimberoff (11 July 2019). "Here comes lab-grown dairy: milk proteins made without animals". LA Times.
  36. ↑ "California Performance vegan whey". Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  37. ↑ US9924728B2, Ryan Pandya, Perumal Gandhi, Shaowen Ji, Derek Beauchamp, Louis Hom, "Food compositions comprising one or both of recombinant beta-lactoglobulin protein and recombinant alpha-lactalbumin protein", published 27 March 2018, assigned to Perfect Day Inc.
  38. ↑ Jay R. Hoffman & Michael J. Falvo (2004). "Protein - Which is best?". Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (3): 118–130.
  39. ↑ Luhovyy BL, Akhavan T, Anderson GH (2007). "Whey proteins in the regulation of food intake and satiety". Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 26 (6): 704S–712S. doi:10.1080/07315724.2007.10719651. PMID 18187437. S2CID 25573353.
  40. ↑ Haug, A; Høstmark, AT; Harstad, OM (2007). "Bovine milk in human nutrition – a review". Lipids Health Dis. 6: 25. doi:10.1186/1476-511X-6-25. PMC 2039733. PMID 17894873.
  41. ↑ Collins, Mike (9 December 2025). "Stop Overpaying for Protein: The Real Difference Between Concentrate, Isolate, and Hydrolyzed Whey". Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  42. ↑ Lee YH (November 1992). "Food-processing approaches to altering allergenic potential of milk-based formula". J. Pediatr. 121 (5 Pt 2): S47–50. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(05)81406-4. PMID 1447634.
  43. ↑ Alan L. Kelly; Seamus A. O'Mahony. "Technologies for whey processing: "Is there a better whey?"" (PDF). Dairyaustralia.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  44. ↑ Burrington, Kimberlee. "Technical Report: Milk Fractionation Technology and Emerging Milk Protein Opportunities" (PDF). USDairy. U.S. Dairy Export Council. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  45. ↑ "Leprino Foods enters direct-to-consumer whey protein market with Ascent Protein". 23 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  46. ↑ Morifuji, Masashi (2010). "Comparison of Different Sources and Degrees of Hydrolysis of Dietary Protein: Effect on Plasma Amino Acids, Dipeptides, and Insulin Responses in Human Subjects". J. Agric. Food Chem. 58 (15): 8788–8797.
  47. ↑ Calbet, JA (2002). "Plasma glucagon and insulin responses depend on the rate of appearance of amino acids after ingestion of different protein solutions in humans".. J Nutr. 132 (8): 2174–82.
  48. 1 2 EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2010). "Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to whey protein". EFSA Journal. 8 (10): 1818. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1818.
  49. 1 2 Guo, Mingruo (2019). Whey Protein Production, Chemistry, Functionality, and Applications. Temple University: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. pp. 119–122. ISBN 9781119256052.
  50. ↑ Sajan, AL; Pazheparambil Jerom, J; Nair, BR; Sajitha, DDK; Soman, R; Jalal, A; Harikumaran Nair, R (11 November 2024). "Alleviating effect of whey protein supplementation on oxidative stress in hypothyroidism". Food & function. 15 (22): 11158–11168. doi:10.1039/d4fo03186e. PMID 39446129.
  51. ↑ Wal JM (2004). "Bovine milk allergenicity". Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 93 (5 Suppl 3): S2–11. doi:10.1016/S1081-1206(10)61726-7. PMID 15562868.
  52. ↑ Burks W, Helm R, Stanley S, Bannon GA (2001). "Food allergens". Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 1 (3): 243–248. doi:10.1097/01.all.0000011021.73682.01. PMID 11964696. S2CID 26812470.
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