whe protein is essential for building muscles and so every day millions of people around the world consume it as part of their diet it's derived from cow milk as a byproduct during the cheese making process a typical Factory produces about 10,000 bottles of whey protein per day and it undergo several important Steps From the dairy farms to the factory floor before assuming its final form as a highquality protein powder but what are these steps and more importantly how is whey protein made the history of whey is closely intertwined with that of cheese since they both
come from milk it's entirely possible that early humans discovered whey protein by complete accident you see back in the olden days Farmers used to store milk in containers made from animal stomachs renit an enzyme found in the stomach of herbivorous animals that would cause the milk to coagulate separating into curds and whey however whey wouldn't become popular until much later since its health benefits remained largely unknown the process begins with the collection of milk from dairy farms where the cows are raised specifically for milk production Farmers make sure that their cows are healthy and properly
fed since the conditions in which the cows are raised affect their milk production these cows are milked two times a day and can produce anywhere from 25 to 35 L of milk a day robotic systems are used to milk the cows to make the milking process more efficient the collected milk is transported to the processing facility this may involve bulk tanker trucks that are specially designed to maintain the temperature and quality of the milk during Transportation upon arrival at the processing facility the milk undergoes quality testing this includes checks for temperature acidity and the presence
of any contaminants milk that meets quality standards is accepted for further processing next up is pasteurization a very crucial step in ensuring the safety of the milk and its products there are two main methods of pasteurization in high temperature shorttime pasteurization the milk is heated to a high temperature usually around 161 F or 72° c for a short duration 15 seconds followed by rapid cooling in ultra high temperature pasteurization the milk is rapidly heated to a much higher temperature usually around 280 F to 138° C for a very short time 2 to 5 Seconds uht
treated milk can be stored for longer periods without Refrigeration after pasteurization the milk is rapidly cooled to a temperature of 4° this is done to stop the milk from cooking which could adversely affect its quality it also inhibits microbial activity the first step in the actual whey protein production is curdling the milk this is typically achieved through the addition of renit an enzyme complex containing kosin renit helps coagulate the milk proteins separating them into solid curds and liquid way the process takes place in huge industrial vets mechanical stirs and agitators ensure uniform mixing of the
milk and the added renit the coagulated milk is then separated into solid curds and liquid whe the curds are used to make cheese while the liquid whe contains water lactose minerals and proteins the separ ated way under go pasteurization again to eliminate any remaining bacteria or microorganisms this helps ensure the safety and quality of the final whey protein product now it's time to concentrate and isolate the protein in we the two main methods to achieve this are the membrane filtration and ion exchange technology membrane filtration is a cold temperature separation process that uses porous membranes
due to their different pore sizes membranes are capable of eliminating bacteria defatting the whe allowing the pass through of carbohydrates and minerals and retaining whey production ion exchange is a process that selectively isolates specific protein components the raw way is sent through a column that collects the proteins and separates them based on differences in their net charge the rest lactose and minerals is washed away and further processed into a different ingredient ion exchange allows the select of all functional and nutritional proteins in way including bioactive proteins such as imunoglobulin and lactoferrin the resulting whey protein
therefore has less fat and lactose and also allows complete solubility with a clean and neutral taste before membrane filtration and ion exchange processes were developed whey protein powders were insoluble had a yellowish brown color and had poor taste it was only after these processes were invented that whey protein acquired The Taste and appearance we are familiar with the concentrated whey is then subjected to drying processes to remove the remaining moisture and transform it into a powder form in spray drying the concentrated liquid whe is First Fed into a chamber where it is atomized meaning it
is broken down into small droplets this is typically achieved by spraying the liquid through a nozzle the droplets are then introduced into a drying chamber hot air is simultaneously blown into the chamber causing the water content in the droplets to evaporate rapidly as the water evaporates the remaining whey solids form tiny dry particles these particles fall to the bottom of the chamber and the dried powder is collected the size of the powder particles can be controlled by adjusting the parameters of the spray drying process the dried whey protein is then transferred to a mixing facility
where it is first weighed along with other flavorings and sweeteners which are added to enhance The Taste and nutritional profile some wayy proteins are also fortified with vitamins and minerals the materials are then mixed in large rotating drums to ensure a consistent product that tastes the same throughout for the packaging an operator introduces the empty cans to a conveyor belt to start the filling process an automatic filling machine is used to fill each can with a precise amount of protein powder this filling machine is actually connected to an intermediate bulk container or an IB PC
that stores the final blend of the protein powder after filling each container under go a weight check to ensure that packaging has been done correctly after the filling has been completed a labeling machine labels each container with important information such as the name of the product nutritional information and instructions for use a worker then inserts a plastic ring on the top of each container which is then heat sealed to ensure an airtight and precise closure the containers are then stored in large large totes ready for distribution before the containers are set off around the globe
a team of experts tests each batch to make sure the quality standards are being met these experts conduct a taste test and compare it to the gold standard this ensures that the taste texture and consistency are correct if not the batch is put on hold and sent back to blending so nothing will be wasted today the goal of major way and performance nutrition companies is to offer better nutrition products to help achieve Better Health and level of nutrition whey protein can now be found in infant nutrition formulas to supplements for the elderly if you're curious
about how other products are made be sure to check out our other videos
