Whey products

Description

Whey is a watery solution. In cheese production it is what remains after the fat and casein proteins have been separated from the milk. An important component of whey is lactose.

• Before whey can be used as a food ingredient, it is dried and pulverised. It is also called milk protein.

Application

Whey, being rich in protein, is used as an ingredient in various foods, such as:

• confectionery, bakery products, ice cream, desserts
• processed foodstuffs and dietary products
• drinks (e.g. mixed drinks with whey)

Whey is also a basis for certain fat substitutes and is used as a raw material in the manufacture of lactose.

Gene technology

Whey is a product of cheese production.

• Chymosin (main active ingredient of rennet): To produce cheese from milk, rennet is added. This causes the milk to thicken and a cloudy liquid separates out, the whey. The majority of the added chymosin remains in the whey. Chymosin, traditionally an enzyme in rennet, is nowadays produced with the help of genetically modified microorganisms. .

Labelling: Whey products do not have to be correspondingly labelled when the chymosin that they contain was prepared with the help of GM-microorganisms.

Animal feed: The animal feed that is used in dairy farming can contain various primary products and supplements for which gene technology can play a role.

• Agricultural primary products from GM-plants: mainly soya beans, but also maize, rapeseed or cotton.
• Supplements such as amino acids, vitamins and various enzymes (e.g phytase). These can be produced using GM-microorganisms.

Labelling animal feed: Labelling is required for animal feed that contains the primary products or the supplements produced using GM-organisms (GMO). However, for foodstuffs such as milk, meat or eggs deriving from animals that were fed on such animal feed corresponding labelling is not required.