Whey protein

Whey protein is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. The proteins consist of α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin and immunoglobulins. Glycomacropeptide also makes up the third largest component but is not a protein. Whey protein is commonly marketed as a protein supplement.

Whey is left over when milk is coagulated during the process of cheese production. Coagulation can happen by adding acid or rennet. It is a 5% solution of lactose in water and contains the water-soluble proteins of milk as well as some lipid content. Processing can be done by simple drying, or the relative protein content can be increased by removing the lactose, lipids and other non-protein materials.

The main method to extract protein from whey is membrane filtration. A variety of membrane pore sizes can be used to selectively let different components of whey go through or be retained. Whey can be passed through "microfiltration" which blocks bacteria, casein micelles, and fat, then passed through "ultrafiltration" (UF) which blocks proteins. The part that does not go through UF is spray-dried into a concentrated whey protein. There are also other ways to concentrate protein using filtration membranes.

Ion exchange chromatography is another major method for whey protein extraction. Methods in development include aqueous two-phase extraction and magnetic separation.

Microbes have been engineered to produce proteins similar or even "bioidentical" to whey. Various companies offer microbe-produced whey and cheese; however, none of these companies stipulate the protein composition of their products, but they do contain some of the genes needed to make whey proteins.

The protein in cow's milk is approximately 20% whey and 80% casein. The protein in human milk is approximately 60% whey and 40% casein. The protein fraction in whey constitutes approximately 10% of the total dry solids in whey. This protein is typically a mixture of beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), bovine serum albumin (~8%) (see also serum albumin), and immunoglobulins. The third largest fragment of whey protein isolate derived from sweet whey is glycomacropeptide or GMP. However, GMP lacks the secondary structure necessary for it to be classified as a protein and is considered a long amino acid chain. These peptides are all soluble in water in their native forms.

Four major types of whey protein are produced commercially:

There is evidence that whey protein is more bio-available than casein or soy protein.