Whey concentration for animal feed

The recovery of whey is proposed as a component for animal feed.

Discarding whey nowadays presents a big problem for dairy factories that are not organized to reuse it for soft cheese production or to separate industrially proteins, lactose, etc.; however, with cross-flow filtration technology it is now possible to produce high value substances for animal feed.


LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WHEY


According to the Legislative Decree no. 22/97 ("Ronchi Decree") the following applies for hot milk and whey:

  • It is to be considered waste if fed to animals as is
  • It is not waste if introduced in a production cycle for animal feed


    A previous too restrictive legislation, concerning whey, was changed adopting two EU directives that emphasize the specificity of this dairy “waste” releasing it from the restrictions of normal non-hazardous special waste.

    EC Regulation 1774/2002, which was enforced on 30.04.2003, introduces the concept of BY-PRODUCT of animal origin, excluding it from the category of waste. The animal by-products are classified into three categories. Whey enters Category III (very low risk) as animal derived by-product intended for human consumption.

    EC Regulation 79/2005 of 19.01.2005, applies the contents of REG. 1774/2002 concerning the use of milk, milk products and milk by-products, materials classified as Category III defining the terms of use and transport.

    Italian legislation which implements the EC Regulations comes with the "Environment Code 2006" ie the Legislative Decree 152/2006. In it waste and by-product are specified in a clear and definite manner:
  • Definition of waste as "any substance or object that falls within Annex A (waste category-residuals of industrial processes) to part IV of the current decree and which the holder decides or is obliged to dispose of. 
  • Definition of by-product as "products of the company's activity which, despite not being the activity's objective, derive continuously from the industrial process and are destined for further use or consumption.

    Usage must be safe and not imply any kind of damage to health or to the environment. By-products, hot milk and whey, must not undergo processes designed for waste products. 

    PROPERTIES AND NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WHEY

    Whey is a food, however much diluted, and as such its use is limited by the gastric administration ability of subjects to which is fed. Our attention should therefore be focused on concentrating it and stabilizing it before being able to achieve good results in animal feed. At the same time the value of the whey lies in its quality and more specifically in the composition of protein fractions (lactalbumin and lactoglobulin, lysine, tryptophan and high sulfur aminoacid such as cystine and methionine) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and manganese) and in water-soluble vitamin content of the group "B". In addition to this, a valuable dietary value refers to lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria which help spontaneous acidification.

    Whey is therefore a mixture of many constituents, some of which may be individually very valuable for animal feed.

    TECHNOLOGY PROPOSAL FOR THE USE OF WHEY CONCENTRATE

    Using a concentration plant operating with membrane filtration (Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration), it's possible to remove about 2 / 3  of water from whey to create a liquid protein/lactose concentrate with almost 20% solid content that can be delivered directly into animal feed. 

    The concentrated whey product consists of approx. 7.9 g / kg crude protein, 5 g / kg of PDIN and 5 g / kg of PDIE with a nutritional value equal to 0.09 UFL / kg.

    One kg of dry matter from whey provides approximately 3,500 kcal / kg digestible energy corresponding to an average of 3,200 kcal / kg metabolizable energy.

    A cow can safely consume whey liquid concentrate at a rate of 2-5 kg of dry matter, which can save forage, increase production of milk and its fat and protein content, when integrated into a proper and balanced diet. Whey concentrate can also be used in feed for calves.

    We remain available to carry out a filtration test and pinpoint an appropriate procedure that will permit the usage of liquid protein concentrate in cow and calf feed. 



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