Questions and Answers

What is whey?
How are Foremost Farms' whey ingredients produced?
How do Foremost Farms' whey ingredients function in foods?
What are the nutritional properties of whey ingredients?
What nutritional benefits are provided by whey proteins?
Can Foremost Farms' whey ingredients be added to formulas for the USDA Child Nutrition Programs?
Who do I contact for more information on Foremost Farms' whey ingredients?

What is whey?
Whey is the liquid substance obtained by separating the coagulum from milk, cream or skim milk in cheesemaking. Whey obtained from a procedure in which there is insignificant conversion of lactose to lactic acid is known as sweet whey. Whey obtained from a procedure in which a significant amount of lactose is converted to lactic acid, or from curd formation by direct acidification of milk, is known as acid whey. This difference in acidity is measured as titratable acidity. Sweet whey has a maximum titratable acidity of not more than 0.16%, calculated as lactic acid, and an alkalinity of ash of not more than 225 ml of 0.1N hydrochloric acid per 100 grams. Whey contains approximately 0.7% protein, 5% lactose, 0.1% fat, 0.6% ash and 93% water.

How are Foremost Farms' whey ingredients produced?
All of Foremost Farms' whey ingredients are made from sweet whey which is further processed to produce ingredients with varying compositions. Dried whey is produced by centrifuging off some of the residual fat in the liquid whey as whey cream, followed by pasteurization, evaporation, crystallization and spray drying. To manufacture whey ingredients with higher levels of protein, like whey protein concentrates (typically 34-89% protein), pressure-driven membrane processes such as ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, microfiltration and nanofiltration are added after the pasteurization step. An electrically driven membrane process, called electrodialysis, is used to produce reduced minerals whey. Crystallization, followed by decanting, is used to produce lactose or to make reduced lactose whey. See Ingredient Selector.

How do Foremost Farms' whey ingredients function in foods?
Foremost Farms' ingredients are manufactured to ensure high quality and consistent functionality. We offer ingredients designed for a variety of food applications, including some specialty ingredients for bakery and nutritional applications. Our ingredients provide a clean dairy flavor, water-binding ability, heat-induced gel formation, aeration, enhanced browning, good dispersability and high solubility over a wide pH range. See Ingredient Selector.

What are the nutritional properties of whey ingredients?
Foremost Farms' ingredients have added value because of their nutritional properties. Whey retains roughly half the nutrients from the milk used for cheesemaking, so it is highly nutritious. Its composition of proteins, lactose, fats, vitamins and minerals makes it a unique nutritional package. The proteins in whey have a high protein quality because they contain all the essential amino acids the body requires. Whey proteins are easily digested and readily absorbed by the body. Whey proteins have also gained special attention in recent years for their health enhancing benefits. The minerals found in whey (calcium, magnesium and phosphorus) also offer added fortification for food applications. Whey ingredients are considered low in fat, with the composition of the fat being high in phospholipids. Initial research suggests that the phospholipids in whey have anti-cancer properties. Lactose, often called milk sugar, provides a good source of carbohydrates that is easily digested by most people. Lactose is a disaccharide that is hydrolyzed by enzymes in the body into glucose and galactose. This hydrolysis occurs slowly, providing a prolonged energy supply to the body. Lactose has a low glycemic index, meaning it creates a slow rise in blood glucose relative to other sugars. These digestive properties make it well suited as an energy source for diabetics. Lactose may also enhance the absorption of some minerals such as calcium and help reduce the risk of intestinal infections by maintaining the healthy intestinal flora. Lactose has a low cariogenicity as compared to other sugars like sucrose, which translates into little or no contribution to tooth decay.

What nutritional benefits are provided by whey proteins?
Foremost Farms' whey-derived ingredients contain varying levels of whey proteins. Whey proteins are high in quality as measured by many different methods. One common method of measuring protein quality is the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). The PDCAAS compares the amino acid composition of a dietary protein with a reference amino acid pattern that reflects a human's nutritional requirements. The highest score achievable by the PDCAAS method is 1.0. Whey protein isolates have a score of 1.15, which reflects the level of amino acids that are in excess of the requirements of the human body. About 60% of the total whey protein content is essential amino acids. About 26% of whey protein is the branched chain amino acids (BCAA), leucine, isoleucine and valine. The BCAA directly supply energy to the skeletal muscles during intense exercise instead of first being metabolized through the liver like the other amino acids. Whey proteins are also considered a good source of the sulfur containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine. These amino acids maintain antioxidant levels in the body and are thought to stabilize DNA during cell division.

Foremost Farms' Daritek™ products are high in protein and are well qualified for nutritional applications. The majority of the health benefits of whey ingredients focus on the proteins, so all whey ingredients containing protein will deliver some benefit. Whey proteins consist of many different proteins. The approximate composition of the whey proteins is 50% beta-lactoglobulin, 15% alpha-lactalbumin, 12% glycomacropeptide, 0.2% lactoperoxidase, 0.4% lactoferrin, 8% immunoglobulins, 5% bovine serum albumin, 9% proteose peptones and others. Many of the individual proteins in whey have published health benefits often referred to as bioactive properties. The bioactive properties of whey proteins include enhanced immunity, cholesterol reduction, appetite suppression, prevention of some cancers, and antiviral and antibacterial activity.

More information on the nutritional properties of whey ingredients can be found in the references below:
- Miller, G.D., Jarvis, J. K., McBean, L. D., Handbook of Dairy Foods and Nutrition, Second Edition, CRC Press, 2000.
- Schrezenmeir, J., Korhonen, H., Williams, C.M., Gill, H.S., Shah, N.P., Supplement-Beneficial Natural Bioactive Substances in Milk and Colostrum, British Journal of Nutrition, 84 (1), November 2000.
- Harper, J.W., Biological Properties of Whey Components, A Review, Published by The American Dairy Products Institute, 2000.
- Harper, J.W., Biological Properties of Whey Components, A Review-Update, Published by The American Dairy Products Institute, 2001.

Can Foremost Farms' whey ingredients be added to formulas for the USDA Child Nutrition Programs?
Under the guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Service, whey protein concentrates can be used as alternate protein products (APP). An APP is required 1) to be processed so that some portion of the non-protein constituents of the food is removed, 2) to have a biological quality at least 80 percent that of casein using the PDCAAS method and 3) to contain at least 18 percent protein by weight when fully hydrated or formulated. Whey protein concentrates can supply some of the requirement for meat/meat alternative required by Child Nutrition Programs (external link).

Who do I contact for more information on Foremost Farms' whey ingredients?
For more detailed descriptions and information about our ingredients, contact us at 1-800-362-9196.

AIB Membership

Foremost Farms USA is a member of the American Institute of Baking.