In October, the Agro-Food Research Laboratory (LARA) at the University of Udine hosted the workshop “What innovative ways can you use your by-products?”, a session dedicated to the valorization of whey using technologies tailored for small and medium-sized dairies.
The initiative is part of the Dairy+ project, which promotes a circular bioeconomy model capable of transforming whey — traditionally considered a waste product — into a functional resource to create products with high nutritional value.
🧪 Live demonstration of the pilot plant developed by LARA
During the workshop, the project partner, the research group of the Department of Agrifood, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), presented the pilot membrane filtration plant designed and built specifically for Dairy+: a compact, efficient, and replicable system, suitable even for small dairies.
Researchers guided participants through the entire process:
• how the plant is loaded and started
• how whey is separated into its fractions
• how the protein concentrate is obtained
• how this concentrate can be used in the production of new functional foods
The final stage of producing a protein-enriched yogurt was demonstrated, obtained by combining the concentrate with milk and cultures, reaching up to 20 g of protein per 100 g of final product, a level allowing the “high protein” nutritional claim.
🎓 Active and engaged participation
The event was attended by:
• technicians and operators from various local dairies
• a large group of students from the Food Science and Technology courses at the University of Udine
For students, the workshop was a valuable opportunity to see the practical application of food technologies up close and to deepen their understanding of whey as a functional ingredient.
For industry operators, the meeting demonstrated how a compact plant can be easily integrated into the production of a small dairy, enabling the recovery of protein fractions with technological and nutritional interest for use in functional products enriched with whey proteins — such as spreadable cheeses and enriched yogurts — as well as the production of innovative, high-value ingredients.
🌱 A concrete step towards sustainability
The workshop showed that the technology developed by Dairy+ represents a realistic and applicable pathway to transform whey into a valuable ingredient, reducing waste and opening new production opportunities for small enterprises.
The project thus continues to develop practical, transferable, and sustainable tools to make innovation more accessible in practice.
