Whey is a valuable by-product of cheese, milk and yogurt manufacture. It contains a mixture of proteins with unique nutritional and functional characteristics that make them commercially appealing. However, they must be isolated and purified to fully exploit their potential. The isolation of these proteins has led to the development of a variety of separation techniques that use a combination of membrane filtration, resin-based chromatography and the integration of multiple technologies. These techniques have provided a significant increase in the protein yield from whey, and have reduced fresh water consumption, waste water creation, and energy costs.유청분리기추천
A whey separator is an automatic clarifier which is designed for milk and whey clarification and separation of solids from liquid-liquid-solid mixtures. The separator uses a patented design and unique air-tight bowl that drastically reduces water consumption, power consumption and environmental footprint. It also features a radical disc design, direct drive and fewer rotating parts that decrease maintenance needs and downtime.
GEA’s separator is a highly efficient, compact machine that operates at high speeds with large centrifugal forces generated by its stack of perforated discs. This enables the separator to produce a very high butterfat content in its output, and a very low water content with minimal foaming. The resulting milk is then pumped out of the separator into a tank, ready for further processing and use.
The whey is separated from the butterfat by centrifugal force as it flows through the separator, with each disc in the separator stack perforated to allow the milk to flow through it, separating out the whey and heavy solid contaminants (somatic cells, sediment) as it passes. This material is forced to the outside of the drum by the centrifugal force, where it collects in pockets on the sides of the separator and is discharged at periodic intervals – either at full or partial volume. This is referred to as “separator sludge,” which is a concentrated solid that may be recovered and reused in the dairy process.
In some applications, a strong electric field is used during ultrafiltration to prevent fouling of the membrane with proteins. This is known as electrically enhanced ultrafiltration (EUF) [132].
Another method of protein separation is immunoaffinity chromatography, whereby a specific antibody is immobilized on an NHS sepharose fast flow resin that can recognize and bind the target protein. The antibody-bound protein molecules can then be desorbed from the column using an appropriate elution buffer such as increasing the pH, ionic strength, adding a metal chelator or introducing a high concentration of the binding ligand.
Despite these advances in protein separation technology, it is not possible to separate and enrich all desired whey proteins at the same time, due to their different functional properties. Therefore, it is essential to understand the underlying separation mechanisms and the principles that govern their performance. This will enable the selection of the best separation process for each application, allowing the dairy processor to maximize the value and benefits of whey proteins in their products.베어그릭스