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<p>Whey is a major dairy by-product with a high organic load that is often insufficiently valorized, leading to serious environmental pollution. This study proposes a low-energy and circular valorization strategy based on the direct use of sweet whey as a water substitute in reconstituted partially skimmed standard milk (SSM). A mathematical formulation model was developed to replace reconstitution water with whey at substitution rates ranging from 0 to 100%, while maintaining constant fat (F), dry matter (DM), and moisture (M) contents. Experimental validation showed that reconstituted partially skimmed whey-substituted milk (WSM) exhibited physicochemical properties comparable to SSM, with no significant differences in F, M, or DM (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). Whey incorporation significantly increased the whey protein-to-casein ratio, thereby improving the nutritional quality and potential digestibility of the product. Sensory evaluation identified 60% whey substitution as the optimal threshold, ensuring consumer acceptability. From an environmental perspective, the proposed approach prevents the discharge of highly polluting whey effluents, achieving a pollution reduction equivalent to 11.34 million population equivalents per year. In addition, the process enables substantial water conservation, with savings of approximately 1.28 million m3 annually through reduced reliance on reconstitution water. Economically, whey valorization decreases dependence on imported milk powders, reducing national imports of skimmed and whole milk powders by 10.82 and 2.77%, respectively, with potential annual savings of nearly €40million euros. Overall, this study demonstrates that direct whey integration into reconstituted milk represents an industrially feasible, scalable, and sustainable valorization pathway aligned with circular economy principles, particularly relevant for water-stressed and import-dependent regions.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Valorization of Sweet Whey as a Water Substitute in Reconstituted Milk: A Low-Energy Circular Approach for Reducing Pollution and Water Use

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月9日

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  • Hillal Sebbane,
  • Dalila Almi,
  • Saliha Siahmed-Zennia,
  • Sarah Saci,
  • Yousra Belounis,
  • Assia Derguini,
  • Karim Houali

摘要

Whey is a major dairy by-product with a high organic load that is often insufficiently valorized, leading to serious environmental pollution. This study proposes a low-energy and circular valorization strategy based on the direct use of sweet whey as a water substitute in reconstituted partially skimmed standard milk (SSM). A mathematical formulation model was developed to replace reconstitution water with whey at substitution rates ranging from 0 to 100%, while maintaining constant fat (F), dry matter (DM), and moisture (M) contents. Experimental validation showed that reconstituted partially skimmed whey-substituted milk (WSM) exhibited physicochemical properties comparable to SSM, with no significant differences in F, M, or DM (p > 0.05). Whey incorporation significantly increased the whey protein-to-casein ratio, thereby improving the nutritional quality and potential digestibility of the product. Sensory evaluation identified 60% whey substitution as the optimal threshold, ensuring consumer acceptability. From an environmental perspective, the proposed approach prevents the discharge of highly polluting whey effluents, achieving a pollution reduction equivalent to 11.34 million population equivalents per year. In addition, the process enables substantial water conservation, with savings of approximately 1.28 million m3 annually through reduced reliance on reconstitution water. Economically, whey valorization decreases dependence on imported milk powders, reducing national imports of skimmed and whole milk powders by 10.82 and 2.77%, respectively, with potential annual savings of nearly €40million euros. Overall, this study demonstrates that direct whey integration into reconstituted milk represents an industrially feasible, scalable, and sustainable valorization pathway aligned with circular economy principles, particularly relevant for water-stressed and import-dependent regions.

Graphical Abstract