RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Fermentation of Dairy Waste Stream into Value-Added Product
For our first research spotlight, we are highlighting some of the novel dairy fermentation work going on in ARG. Marie Lawton and Kate Jencarelli have been aerobically fermenting a synthetic media supplemented with lactose to emulate dairy effluents. Acid whey, whey permeate, and milk permeate are by-products of dairy processing. They’re generally low in solids but have high levels of the milk sugar lactose remaining.
These by-products are typically waste and must be treated and disposed or they are used as animal feed. But what if we were able to convert this dairy waste into something great?
How can we upcycle dairy waste and create a value-added product?
Using the tools of microbiology, we can convert the milk sugars into something of value and help dairy processors turn their waste into a functional product.
With the rise in consumer trends for functional beverages, products like kombucha with live cultures have increased in popularity. Why couldn’t we make a kombucha like product out of these dairy effluents?
Acetic acid is the compound that gives kombucha its signature flavor, and dairy effluents are also packed with vitamins and minerals. Fermentation of these dairy effluents could break into a new niche in the market, and help dairy producers everywhere recycle their waste into a new profitable product!
Anaerobic fermentation of these dairy effluents is also being investigated in our lab. This process produces ethanol and could be another means of upcycling dairy waste. Research is ongoing to determine how to optimize acetic acid and ethanol production from the dairy waste stream.