Water-rich Whey: An Invaluable Resource for Beverage Development Toward Sustainable Dairy – Summary
Simran Kaur Arora1* and Yash Mali2
1*Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, G.B.P.U.A.T., Pant Nagar, Uttarakhand, India. Email: sim_n@rediffmail.com
2Research Scholar, Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, G.B.P.U.A.T., Pant Nagar, Uttarakhand, India
Submitted: April 6, 2024
Revised: October 29, 2024
Accepted: November 4, 2024
Published: June 20, 2025
Abstract
Where there is a scarcity of drinking water in the world, drinkable water is made by purification of available water at a high cost. India will face severe water scarcity by 2050. A major portion (93.5%) of whey, a byproduct obtained during the production of coagulated milk products, is made up of water but due to its sensory properties it is not consumed directly. However, it can be valorized for human consumption by using simple, cost-efficient techniques of manufacturing beverages and soups, whereby its watery portion is utilized as the bulking agent to help meet the daily supplies for liquid intake of an individual. The long-established utilization pattern of whey as concentrates or powders is related to high global warming potential. Similarly, the production and isolation of specific ingredients from whey are technology dependent and generate large quantities of effluents. Whey can be applied to novel uses for producing bioethanol, and electricity (biogas) but, at the cost of nutrients and water. Hence, there is a need to spread awareness among the dairy processors for valorizing whey (as whole) to help quench the thirst of poor people at low-cost. Besides discussing these concerns, the present review advocates the transformation of whey (even acidic whey) into various flavorful beverages or soups as a source of both nutrients and water (zero wastage), thus making positive contributions to ameliorating the problems of poor access to potable water, malnutrition, and pollution of aquatic ecosystems.