Whey protein isolate byproducts show unexplored value for human nutrition

Dairy byproducts, commonly used for low-value animal feedstock, have been shown to have a nutritional value for humans. A study suggests these offer opportunities for manufacturers to create ingredients for functional human foods while taking environmental sustainability into account. 

When whey protein isolate is produced, it also produces an almost equal amount of whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC) as a byproduct.

Nutrition Insight sits down with study author Dr. Gulustan Ozturk, an assistant professor at the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, to discuss what the findings may bring to the future of functional nutrition.

“WPPC is rich in milk fat globule membrane-associated components, including phospholipids, sphingolipids, glycoproteins, and bioactive proteins. In preclinical studies, WPPC and its fractions have shown potential to influence gut health, the gut microbiome, bone health, cognitive health, and nutrient delivery.”

“These components make WPPC more than a protein coproduct; it has potential as a functional dairy ingredient.”

Time for human discovery

WPPC is produced during whey protein isolate manufacturing, but historically, most research and commercial interest focused on whey proteins themselves, particularly whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate, explains Ozturk.

“As a result, WPPC [has] received relatively little attention despite containing valuable milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components, phospholipids, and bioactive proteins.”

Ozturk says that the most exciting aspect of WPPC is that it connects sustainability and nutrition.The compositionally complex nature of WPPC is also challenging, she explains: “Unlike purified ingredients, it contains a mixture of proteins, phospholipids, lipids, and glycoproteins, making it more difficult to fully characterize and understand its functionality.”

“Only in recent years, growing interest in MFGM bioactives led researchers to take a closer look at WPPC as a potential functional food ingredient. Today, we are beginning to better understand how these components may contribute to healthy aging, gut health, nutrient delivery, and cognitive health, creating new opportunities to utilize this underexplored dairy coproduct for human nutrition.”

Ozturk says that the most exciting aspect of WPPC is that it connects sustainability and nutrition.

“We are taking a dairy coproduct that is currently underutilized and asking whether it can become a value-added ingredient for functional foods. WPPC could become part of the next generation of dairy ingredients that connect sustainability, healthy aging, and precision nutrition.”

Targeted consumer groups

Ozturk shares that postmenopausal women and older adults are an important focus because aging is associated with increased risk of bone loss, metabolic changes, and inadequate intake of some nutrients, including choline.

WPPC may offer a dairy-based strategy to support potentially healthy aging through phospholipids, choline, protein, and MFGM components.

Ozturk details that the most realistic formats include ready-to-mix powders, dairy beverages, yogurts or cultured dairy products, protein-enriched snacks, and potentially cheese-based applications.

“These formats can take advantage of WPPC’s emulsifying properties and nutrient density.”

For infant formula, the regulatory bar is much higher than for general adult nutrition, she stresses.

“The ingredient would need to meet strict compositional, microbiological, contaminant, safety, consistency, and infant-suitability standards. In the US, infant formula ingredients must comply with applicable regulatory requirements.”

“Importantly, the American Dairy Products Institute has already developed ingredient specifications for Infant Formula Grade WPPC, providing benchmarks for composition, quality, and consistency. The existence of these specifications reflects growing industry recognition that phospholipid-rich dairy ingredients may have value in infant nutrition applications.”

For infant formula, the regulatory bar is much higher than for general adult nutrition.Globally, ingredients enriched in MFGM components and dairy phospholipids are already being incorporated into infant nutrition products, particularly because they contain bioactive lipids and phospholipids that more closely resemble those found in human milk, she says. “This demonstrates both scientific and commercial interest in this category of ingredients.”

Continued research and collaboration among industry, researchers, and regulatory agencies will help determine how quickly these ingredients move into wider commercial use.

“From a scientific perspective, the opportunity is certainly there, and the field has made significant progress over the last decade toward better understanding the nutritional value of phospholipid-rich dairy ingredients.”

From low-value animal feed to premium human nutrition

For the ingredient to make the shift from being perceived as low-value animal feed to premium human nutrition, Ozturk argues that the strongest path forward is to combine detailed compositional characterization with high-quality human nutrition research.

“While WPPC is already a food-grade dairy ingredient, additional studies are needed to better understand how its unique combination of phospholipids, proteins, and milk fat globule membrane components contributes to human nutrition and functionality.”

She shares that from a scientific perspective, evidence demonstrating nutrient bioavailability, physiological relevance, and potential benefits in target populations would help establish its value as a premium ingredient.

“As with many emerging functional ingredients, building a strong body of evidence through both mechanistic and human studies is important for broader adoption.”

From a marketing perspective, claims should remain science-based and supported by the available evidence, she says.

“The greatest opportunity may be positioning WPPC around its naturally occurring dairy phospholipids, MFGM components, nutrient density, and role as a value-added dairy ingredient rather than relying on exaggerated health claims.”

As the scientific evidence continues to grow, the market perception of WPPC is likely to evolve from a little-known coproduct to a specialized nutrition ingredient, she argues.

Growing interest in dairy

Interest in dairy bioactive ingredients continues to grow, particularly in areas such as healthy aging, infant nutrition, gut health, and functional foods, Ozturk explains.

Interest in dairy bioactive ingredients continues to grow, says Ozturk.“One of the most exciting developments is the growing recognition that WPPC is a complex dairy ingredient containing proteins, lipids, phospholipids, glycoproteins, and other naturally occurring bioactive components.”

She says that while phospholipids and MFGM-associated compounds continue to attract significant attention, emerging research suggests that multiple components within WPPC may contribute to its nutritional and functional properties.

“Recent studies, including work from our group and collaborators, suggest that different WPPC fractions may influence outcomes related to bone health, body composition, the gut microbiome, and cognitive health.”

“These findings highlight the complexity of WPPC and suggest that its nutritional value may extend beyond any single component or health outcome. These findings are expanding our understanding of how dairy coproducts may be utilized in future nutrition and functional food applications.”

Ozturk argues that at the industry level, there is increasing interest in moving WPPC from a relatively underutilized dairy coproduct toward higher-value nutrition applications.

“As researchers continue to better characterize its composition and functionality, WPPC is increasingly being viewed as a versatile dairy ingredient with opportunities across multiple nutrition and health-related applications.”