Around 75 million tons of whey left over from cheese making is dumped every year in Europe, but that could be about to change as a new project led by Ainia goes live. The cheese industry as a whole could soon start to benefit from the new initiative called Wheypack which is all about turning surplus whey into PHB biodegradable packaging that can be tailored to the needs of specific products.
Food technology and production experts from Spanish companies Ainia, working in collaboration with Central Quesera Montesinos Aimplas and Embalnor in Portugal have achieved the first bioplastic material made from whey derived from cheese making – polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is obtained by a fermentation bioprocess of whey.