title: Feasibility, safety, and economic implications of whey-recovered water in cleaning-in-place systems: A case study on water conservation for the dairy industry.
abstract: Water scarcity is threatening food security and business growth in the United States. In the dairy sector, most of the water is used in cleaning applications; therefore, any attempt to support water conservation in these processes will have a considerable effect on the water footprint of dairy products. This study demonstrates the viability for recovering good quality water from whey, a highly pollutant cheese-making by-product, to be reused in cleaning-in-place systems. The results obtained in this study indicate that by using a combined ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis system, 47% of water can be recovered. This system generates protein and lactose concentrates, by-products that once spray-dried fulfill commercial standards for protein and lactose powders. The physicochemical and microbiological quality of the recovered permeate was also analyzed, suggesting suitable properties to be reused in the cleaning-in-place system without affecting the quality and safety of the product manufactured on the cleaned equipment. A cost analysis was conducted for 3 cheese manufacturing levels, considering an annual production of 1, 20, and 225 million liters of whey. Results indicate the feasibility of this intervention in the dairy industry, generating revenues of $0.18, $3.05, and $33.4 million per year, respectively. The findings provide scientific evidence to promote the safety of reuse of reconditioned water in food processing plants, contributing to building a culture of water conservation and sustainable production throughout the food supply chain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68588; The Food Processing Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68588. Electronic address: yulie@huskers.unl.edu.
authors.forename: Yulie E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Meneses
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68588; The Food Processing Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68588.
authors.forename: Rolando A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flores
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002611:Cheese; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003611:Dairy Products; D003612:Dairying; D005511:Food Handling; D009995:Osmosis; D014462:Ultrafiltration; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology; D014867:Water; D000067796:Whey; D000067816:Whey Proteins
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater; D014867:Water; D000067816:Whey Proteins
keywords: food industry; membrane filtration; water optimization; water reconditioning