Whey shortage alternatives - overview
- Surging global demand has tightened whey supply and availability
- GLP-1 use and domestic demand are boosting whey consumption
- Whey provides protein, solubility, emulsification, foaming and texture benefits
- Milk protein concentrates can replace whey in many applications
- Alternatives often match some, not all, whey functions
A whey shortage is gripping the food industry. Sales of the key ingredient have skyrocketed, so much so that availability is drying up.
Whey is a key protein source, but it also has several important functional roles in food production beyond this. Certain whey functionalities can, however, be replicated by alternatives.
Why is there a whey shortage?
The reason for the whey shortage is simple: high demand.
“Due to the increased demand, the whey market is in a new balance,” says Alexander Anton, secretary general of the European Whey Processors Association and European Dairy Association.
Production in the US is basically unavailable for the international market at this point, as it has been absorbed by the domestic market. Some producers are looking elsewhere, such as Europe, but it is unclear whether the European market can cope with the strain.
The rise in the popularity of GLP-1 drugs is also a factor. In the US, whey is often prescribed alongside GLP-1s, and due to the abundance of GLP-1 users there, this has meant that whey demand has gone through the roof.
Whey demand is likely to remain high, suggests Anton. “It is likely to remain tight in the near term at global level. Some easing may come as new processing capacity is added, but the market may very well stay structurally firm.”
What is the functional role of whey in food?
The main purpose of whey in food is to add protein, and it is consistently used for this. It’s useful because it has such good solubility over a wide pH range, explains KJ Burrington, VP of technical development at the American Dairy Products Institute.
Whey protein isolates in particular have the ability to make clear protein drinks at a low pH range of 2.8-3.5, which, says Burrington, is a “unique property”.
But whey has several functional roles as well.
According to Anton, it can help stabilise emulsions, contributes to gelation and texture and supports foaming and aeration. It also, he says, helps manage moisture and consistency.
Whey and whey protein ingredients like whey protein concentrates have been used as fat and egg replacements, as well as for water binding, whipping, and browning, explains American Dairy Products Institute’s Burrington.
What are alternatives to whey?
The functional properties of whey are many and varied, so what can replace these?
Milk protein concentrates or isolates can replace whey proteins in most applications, says Burrington. They are even better in some respects: milk protein concentrates and isolates have a better heat stability than whey at a pH range of 6.5-7, which, she says, is good for UHT ready-to-drink beverages.
Nevertheless, there are a few exceptions to this where they fall short compared to whey. One is solubility. Milk proteins lose solubility at a pH below 6.0, Burrington explains, so if a drink is highly acidic, milk proteins will not work.
Furthermore, milk proteins bind more water than whey, therefore developing more viscosity.
Other dairy proteins, such as casein-based ingredients, can also work as substitutes, explains a spokesperson for ingredients company Arla Foods, although this depends on what the application will be.
Casein has water-binding properties that make it suitable for use in dairy products, and can also be used for emulsification.
As whey remains scarce, the food industry may be drawn towards alternatives. However, such alternatives will usually have some, not all, of whey’s functionality.
