Whey protein is a smooth, low-carb additive

• A local dairy is responsible for the modern technology that makes ice cream treats taste perfectly smooth.
• Lynn Dairy and Lynn Proteins, W1929 Highway 10, Granton, pioneered the technology to extract whey protein concentrate.
• The ingredient is added to ice cream to give it a smoother texture, said Bill Schwantes, president of both corporations.
• "Whey, which is mostly water, is a byproduct of making cheese.
• The only way to use the whey used to be to spread it on fields," Schwantes explained.
• There are about 200 companies using equipment similar to what his father and Thomas devised in 1970.
• Since then, the product leapt from the main ingredient in calf milk replacement to an integral item in the processed food industry.
• Slimfast, nutrition bars and other low-carb diet products contain whey protein concentrates extracted at Lynn Proteins, Schwantes said.
• The demand for low-carb products has caused the ingredient to become an attractive additive.
• It adds palatability and protein without the extra carbohydrates.
• What started in 1970 as a process to extract one product from what used to be waste has grown to extracting three more products: lactose, deproteinized whey and delactose permeate.
• Ultrafiltration removes the protein from the whey with the water permeating through the filters.
• Schwantes said that the main customers for the deproteinized whey are feed companies doing business with China.
• It is a sweetener used in chocolate and baked goods.
• Schwantes said it is a cost-effective way to fortify the carbohydrate content in milk for people in countries facing food shortages.
• Currently the whey products from Lynn Proteins gross about $4 million in sales annually, whereas Lynn Dairy brings in more than $40 million in gross sales, said sales manager Rick Bielke.