Whey

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Whey, sweet, fluid
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 112 kJ (27 kcal)
Carbohydrates 5.14 g
Fat 0.36 g
Protein 0.846 g
Calcium 47 mg (5%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
File:Whey.jpg
Whey collecting as newly made cheese drains

Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like Cheddar or Swiss. Acid whey (also known as "sour whey") is obtained during the making of acid types of cheese such as cottage cheese.

Production

Whey is a co-product of cheese production. It is one of the components which separate from milk after curdling, when rennet or an edible acidic substance is added.

Uses

Whey is used to produce ricotta, brown cheeses, Messmör/Prim and many other products for human consumption. It is also an additive in many processed foods, including breads, crackers and commercial pastry, and in animal feed. Whey proteins primarily consist of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin. Depending on the method of manufacture, whey may also contain glycomacropeptides (GMP).

Whey protein (derived from whey) is often sold as a nutritional supplement. Such supplements are especially popular in the sport of bodybuilding. In Switzerland, where cheese production is an important industry, whey is used as the basis for a carbonated soft drink called Rivella. In Iceland, MS manufactures and sells liquid whey as Mysa in 1 liter cartons (energy 78kJ or 18kcal, calcium 121mg, protein 0.4g, carbohydrates 4.2g, sodium 55mg).[1]

Historically, whey used to be a popular drink in inns and coffee houses. When Joseph Priestley was at college at Daventry Academy 1752–1755, he records that during the morning of Wednesday 22 May 1754, he “went with a large company to drink whey.”[2] This was probably ‘sack whey’ or ‘wine whey.’ A contemporary recipe for ‘wine whey’ instructs: “Put a pint of skimmed milk, and half a pint of white wine into a bason, let it stand a few minutes, then pour over it a pint of boiling water, let it stand a little, and the curd will gather in a lump, and settle to the bottom, then pour your whey into a China bowl, and put in a lump of sugar, a sprig of balm, or a slice of lemon.”[3]

An alternative recipe is for ‘Cream of Tartar Whey’: "Put a pint of blue milk [blue milk is characterized by the appearance on its surface, eighteen or twenty-four hours after it is drawn, of small, indigo-blue fungal spots which rapidly enlarge until the whole surface is covered with a blue film.] over the fire, when it begins to boil, put in two tea spoonfuls of cream of tartar, then take it off the fire, and let it stand till the curd settles to the bottom of the pan, then put it into a bason to cool, and drink it milk warm.”[4]

Whey was also used in central Spain to enrich bakery products. Traditionally, it was used instead of water to produce bread dough.

Whey cream and butter

Cream can be skimmed from whey. Whey cream is more salty, tangy and “cheesy” than ("sweet") cream skimmed from milk, and can be used to make whey butter. Whey cream and butter are suitable for making butter-flavored food, as they have a stronger flavor of their own. They are also cheaper than sweet cream and butter.

Health

Liquid whey contains lactose, vitamins, protein and minerals along with traces of fat. In 2005 researchers at Lund University in Sweden discovered that whey appears to stimulate insulin release, in type 2 diabetics.[5] Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, they also discovered that whey supplements can help regulate and reduce spikes in blood sugar levels among people with type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin secretion.

Protein

Whey protein is the name of globular proteins that can be isolated from whey. It is typically a mixture of globinstagers beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), and serum albumin (~8%), which are soluble in their native culture forms, independent of pH.

References

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External links

bg:Суроватка ca:Sèrum de llet cs:Syrovátka cy:Maidd da:Valle (ost) de:Molke et:Vadak es:Suero de leche eo:Selakto fr:Lactosérum io:Selakto is:Mysa it:Siero di latte he:מי גבינה lb:Wässeg lt:Išrūgos nl:Wei (zuivel) nds-nl:Wui ja:乳清 no:Myse pl:Serwatka pt:Soro de leite ru:Молочная сыворотка simple:Whey sl:Sirotka sr:Сурутка fi:Hera (maidon osa) sv:Vassle tl:Lagnaw te:పాలువిరుగుడు

zh:乳清
  1. Mysa contents as cited on packaging from Mjólkursamsalan
  2. Tony Rail and Beryl Thomas; Joseph Priestley’s Journal while at Daventry Academy, 1754, transcribed from the original shorthand; Enlightenment and Dissent (University of Wales, Aberystwyth), 1994, 13, 49–113.
  3. Raffald, Elizabeth (1782), The Experienced English Housekeeper (8 publisher=R. Baldwin ed.), p. 313 
  4. Op. cit. p. 314.
  5. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition