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FORNY20-FORNY2020

EpiWhey – conversion of whey sidestreams

Alternative title: EpiWhey - omdannelse av myse sidestrøm

Awarded: NOK 5.0 mill.

Project Number:

341640

Project Period:

2023 - 2025

Funding received from:

Subject Fields:

EpiWhey is a new method for value creation from biproducts within the dairy industry. The use of EpiWhey will transform the production of epilactose by enabling a cost-effective and sustainable production in a novel two-step patented process. There are currently few methods to fully utilize the abundant lactose resource of whey permeate side streams. Industrial stakeholders are looking for new ways to create high value products from this resource currently seen as a waste product. EpiWhey uses whey permeate, the liquid phase remaining after milk has been curdled and strained in cheese production, as a natural substrate to produce the highly valued, and health promoting prebiotic epilactose. Epilactose is currently not available as a commercial product and is only typically used in milligram amounts in microbiology research. The EpiWhey process is a novel two-step patented process that has transformed epilactose production. The project has successfully designed a proof-of-concept fermentation process to obtain high purity epilactose in an easily scalable procedure. The production has been scaled up to use a 100-liter reactor and a purity of 94% epilactose vs. lactose was obtained. The current project will build on these results and will focus on the fermentation, downstream purification/upconcentration of epilactose and its optimization and up-scaling. This will be done together with industrial partners, which will allow for results to be used directly for industrial implementation and production.

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020