Membrane filtration of Mozzarella whey

Whey is a by-product of cheese production which is used mainly as animal feed or released into the wastewater treatment process, although it is rich in valuable components. Recent developments in membrane filtration have provided exciting new opportunities for large-scale protein and lactose fractionation. The aim of this research was to develop a complex membrane filtration technology for whey processing. The microfiltration and ultrafiltration processes were carried out with pilot-scale equipment. For these filtration procedures three modules — hollow-fibre, ceramic and spiral wound — were used. The permeates from micro- and ultrafiltration (MF and UF), and the original whey sample were filtered on nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) equipment. After the measurements new methods for using whey were proposed. With this complex method cheese production can be redesigned to a more environmentally friendly and efficient process. All membrane filtration methods were used to find the potential applications of membrane systems for whey recycling and utilization.

On the basis of laboratory and pilot plant membrane filtration experiments with mozzarella whey, three alternative treatment lines can be proposed. The alternatives differ in the separation efficiency of the valuable whey components and complexity of the proposed treatment technology. The alternatives are shown in Fig. 7. In all alternatives, the first step is defatting and sterilisation of the whey by MF. The Fig. 7. Alternatives of whey recycling.