Sustainable Approaches in Whey Cheese Production: A Review

Abstract

Whey cheeses have been produced from the very early steps of cheesemaking practices as a sustainable way to utilize whey, which is the main by-product of cheesemaking. Traditional whey cheeses, manufactured with similar processes, are Ricotta, Ricotta salata or Ricottone, and Ricotta fresca in Italy; Anthotyros, Myzithra, Manouri, Xynomyzithra, and Urda in Greece; Urda in Serbia and Romania as well as in other countries such as Israel; Lor in Turkey; Anari in Cyprus; Skuta in Croatia and Serbia; Gjetost and Brunost in Norway; Mesost and Messmör in Sweden; Mysuostur in Iceland; Myseost in Denmark; Requeijão in Portugal; and Requesón in Spain and Mexico. The production of whey cheese is based on the denaturation of whey proteins by heating to 88–92 °C. The specific processing conditions and aspects of the microbiology of whey cheeses are discussed. The special characteristics of whey cheeses, which are high pH and high moisture content, make them susceptible to microbial growth. Due to the limited shelf life of these products, extended research has been carried out to extend the shelf life of whey cheese. The sustainable preservation approaches, such as modified atmosphere packaging, addition of herbs and/or plant extracts, and bio-preservation methods are reviewed. Moreover, novel whey cheeses focused on functional properties have developed during the last 10 years.

Use of high‐intensity ultrasound and micellar casein concentrate addition for improving whey Ricotta cheese production

“…During WRC production, the first small particles of denatured WP appear at $80°C (Bintsis and Papademas 2023); these proteins precipitate when heated in the absence of CNM; the presence of the hydrophilic ĸ-CN in milk appears to moderate WP aggregates growth, promoting the formation of stable particles (Donato et al 2007). When only whey is used, the particles of denatured proteins floating on the surface are small and the resulting WRC yield is low (Bintsis and Papademas 2023). So, yields are higher when milk is mixed with whey in different proportions, because of the presence of CNs (Riera et al 2016).…”

“…Several well-known WCs are produced worldwide, including Ricotta, Requeijão, Mysost and Requesón. Whey cheese is obtained by heat-acid-induced coagulation (88-92°C); due to its pH level (pH $ 5) and moisture content (M/C $ 73%), it is susceptible to microbial growth (Bintsis and Papademas 2023). The addition of a concentrated milk protein source such as nonfat dry milk (NFDM), milk protein concentrate (MPC) or micellar casein concentrate (MCC) may considerably increase its yield (Borges et al 2020), as the k-CN fraction in the outer layer of casein micelles (CNM) form heat-induced aggregates with denatured WPs through sulfhydryl-disulfide reactions (Yun et al 2023).…”

Preliminary evaluation of Hyblean Ricotta cheese through seasons, a comparison of the chemical and sensory characteristics

“…This resulting whey is heated until it reaches a high temperature (80-90°C), in the traditional vats, to denature and aggregate the whey proteins (Lucey 2022). Thus, Ricotta cheese, based on the principles of circular economy, can be considered a sustainable vehicle for dairy byproduct reuse, the whey (Bintsis and Papademas 2023). The demand for Ricotta cheese in the market increased gradually in the last few years (Mangione et al 2023c), due to the consumers' preference mainly oriented to more natural and healthy foods with high nutritional value (Puccio et al 2022).…”

Emerging Trends in Bioavailability and Pharma-Nutraceutical Potential of Whey Bioactives

“…The whey biological components like β -LG β -lactoglobulin, glycomacropeptide, α -LA α -lactalbumin, lactoferrin, and immunoglobulins exhibit a range of immune-boosting characteristics [ 15 ]. Whey has antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties in addition to chelating [ 16 ]. The intracellular metabolism of cysteine, an amino acid, to glutathione, a powerful intracellular antioxidant, is the main mechanism through which whey is believed to provide its benefits.…”