Teagasc research will concentrate on wasting nothing in the milk processing cycle

MILK is universally recognised as a super-food and now Teagasc are involved in research to ensure that every drop of the life sustaining liquid is utilised in its processing.

According to Teagasc, it was common up until the 20th century, to dispose of whey [essentially the watery part of sour milk] as a waste product.

Not alone was this practice a cause of pollution but it also meant that a valuable by-product of milk was essentially ‘dumped down the drain’.

Teagasc Research Officer, Eoin Murphy*, of the Food, Chemistry and Technology Dept. at Moorepark, has outlined the importance of ‘wasting nothing’ in milk with global food demand expected to rise by 70% over the next 30 years.

“That will make it increasingly important for dairy processors to utilise every last drop of milk. In particular, growing volumes of low-protein ‘co-products’ from the manufacture of protein concentrates, will be a challenge for the industry,” said Eoin Murphy.

He explained that, what was once considered waste or by-products of milk are now being categorised as ‘co-products’ based on the need to obtain as much nutritional and economic value from milk as is possible.

“As volumes of high-lactose streams increase, dairy processors will face challenges. This is particularly true in the Irish context where drying is essential for valorisation [increasing the value] of dairy products.

“Processors may be faced with scenarios where drying of large pools of permeate-type streams, reduces the capacity available for the drying of higher-value ingredients.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.