POTENTIAL FOR THE USE OF CHEESE WHEY IN MEXICO

Abstract

Cheese whey is a by-product of the transformation of milk into cheese (85% of the total milk used). The current production of this waste in the Veracruz State, Mexico is of 354,227 tons. This waste is disposed on bodies of water and soil, causing damage to the environment due to high oxygen demand that is needed to degrade the high concentrations of organic matter that it presents. This situation has generated the search for new processes for the approach of this waste. Actually, several alternatives have been proposed for your exploitation such as contemplates its use as a substrate for obtaining products with added-value as biofuels, enzymes, lipids and organic acids. The objective was to analyze different alternatives for the use of cheese whey produced in the Veracruz State, Mexico.