ABSTRACT
Whey, a by-product of the cheese industry, was often disposed as waste in the past; however, nowadays, whey or its components are widely used as food ingredients. The total worldwide whey production is 40.7 × 106 tons per year (Prazeres et al. 2012). In this respect, only the European Union produces approximately 1.6 million metric tons per year from which more than 25% are used for human consumption (European Whey Products Association, https://ewpa.euromilk.org/facts-gures.html). On the other hand, the United States produces approximately 1.1 million metric tons per year since 2007 (US Dairy Export Council, https://www.usdec.org/Products/content.cfm?ItemNumber=82497&navItemNum ber=82256). On the other hand Argentina is the only South American country where whey is processed and exported; its production reaches 4700 million liters per year (Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentos de la Nación, 2010). Here, whey is sold as demineralized powder and as whey protein concentrates (WPCs), which are further used to produce food products for human consumption and infant formula (Panorama Agropecuario, 5/07/2013, https://www.sudesteagropecuario.com.ar).
