WHEY PROCESSING AND VALORIZATION
From By-Product to Premium Ingredient: Strategic Valorization of Acid Whey
The diagram above illustrates a profitability strategy to transform acid whey (typically an operational challenge in Greek yogurt and cottage cheese production) into high-value commodities: Demineralized Whey Protein Concentrates (DWPC) and Isolates (DWPi).
Unlike conventional lines, this solution integrates critical technologies of Electrodialysis and Forced Circulation Evaporation. This configuration allows us to overcome the barriers of acidity and mineral load, guaranteeing a perfectly stable protein and a superior-solubility powder, suitable for the most demanding sports nutrition markets.
This is engineering designed for financial robustness: it maximizes return per liter of processed milk, ensures operational continuity, and delivers a final product of export quality.
Acid Whey Valorization: Process Line for Demineralized Concentrates and Isolates (DWPC / DWPi)
This process line represents a comprehensive solution for transforming a complex by-product — acid whey from Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or cream cheese — into high-value commercial ingredients: Demineralized Whey Protein Concentrate (DWPC) and Isolate (DWPi).
Historically, acid whey processing presented technical challenges due to its high mineral content, acidity, and salinity. Our engineering integrates membrane separation, electrodialysis, and multi-stage drying technologies to overcome these barriers. The result is a continuous and stable process that mitigates fouling problems and delivers a functional, thermally stable, high-solubility powder suitable for the most demanding sports nutrition and dietary supplement markets.
Technical Process Description:
Protect the integrity of your filtration membranes and maximize by-product recovery.
Comprehensive solution for casein fines removal, residual fat separation, and microbiological stabilization of whey. This system ensures constant operational flow by preventing clogging and premature fouling in downstream membrane equipment, optimizing plant efficiency and asset service life.
Transform dairy whey from a residual by-product into a profitable, high-demand raw material.
Industrial membrane separation equipment designed for partial demineralization and concentration of whey solids. Delivers a sweet-tasting, high-protein concentrate, converting whey into a ready-to-use raw material for new formulations.
Upgrade your whey to 'Infant Formula' quality (D90), maximizing the final selling price of your powder ingredients.
Electrochemical separation unit designed for selective extraction of mineral salts and organic acids from dairy whey. Uses ion-exchange membranes under an electric field to achieve D40, D50, D70 and D90 demineralization levels, enabling production of high-value ingredients for infant and dietary nutrition.
Process large continuous volumes with maximum energy efficiency, protecting the organoleptic properties of heat-sensitive products through minimal residence times.
Shell-and-tube evaporation system designed for gentle concentration of food and chemical products. Its vertical configuration and homogeneous flow distribution guarantee high heat-transfer coefficients and low fouling tendency. Available with Thermal (TVR) or Mechanical (MVR) Vapor Recompression to drastically reduce steam consumption.
Eliminate height and civil works restrictions in your plant, achieving superior concentrations with 70% less space than traditional tubular systems.
Plate evaporator designed for efficient handling of high-viscosity, fouling-prone fluids. Its modular configuration allows capacity expansion by adding plates, drastically reducing initial investment and steam operating costs thanks to its high heat-transfer coefficient.
Eliminate fouling shutdowns in the final concentration of viscous products, achieving continuous operation where tubular evaporators fail.
Plate evaporator specifically designed to operate as a final concentrator ('finisher') for fluids with high solids content or scaling tendencies. Uses high turbulence and the 'flash' evaporation principle to prevent product boiling on the plate surface, guaranteeing a permanent self-cleaning effect.
Eliminate caking problems in your whey powder by guaranteeing homogeneous lactose crystallization before drying, maximizing product quality and stability.
Process tanks designed for controlled cooling and nucleation of whey concentrates. Their specialized agitation design keeps solids uniformly suspended without damaging crystal structure, achieving lactose crystallization rates while preventing uncontrolled viscosity increases.
Maximize solubility and guarantee the granular structure of your dairy powders with precise moisture control and fines recovery.
Industrial system designed for continuous dehydration of milk and whey by atomization. Features a three-stage configuration (chamber, static bed, and vibrated bed) that ensures gentle thermal treatment. Its design includes fines classification and reinjection systems that optimize operational efficiency and final quality of the agglomerated product.
