Whey Proteins: A potential ingredient for food industry- A review

Whey, a byproduct of cheese and whey manufacturing was considered as waste of dairy industry. There has been a continuous increase in dry whey production due to advances in processing technologies such as ultra filtration, reverse osmosis and nanofiltration process. High value whey based ingredients has received much more attention in food industry due to its exceptional functional and nutritional properties. It is an important source of bioactive peptides, essential amino acids, b-Lactoglobulin, Lactalbumin, Immunoglobulin, Lactoferrin. Whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI) and hydrolyzed whey protein (HWP) are the key products obtained from whey. Whey protein plays an important role in development of whey protein based functional food in addition to its therapeutic application. Whey protein extensively used as an antimicrobial in edible film and as protective material to improve shelf life of food. The purpose of this review to highlight the importance of whey protein as a source of new-generation functional ingredients in food industry.