Cutting the Whey: Arla’s No-Waste Solution for the Dairy Industry
In the dairy industry, efficiency is everything. Yet for producers of strained dairy products like Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese, a staggering inefficiency has long been accepted as a given: acid whey. Traditionally, making these products means discarding up to two-thirds of the milk in the form of this by-product. But what if that waste could simply be designed out of the process?
Arla Foods Ingredients, a subsidiary of Danish dairy cooperative Arla Foods, believes it can be. The company has unveiled a new production concept—marketed under the banner “Maximum yield, no acid whey”—that promises to do away with acid whey entirely. Central to the innovation is Arla’s proprietary Nutrilac® HighYield range of milk proteins. By integrating these proteins prior to fermentation, dairies can bypass the filtration stage where acid whey is normally separated. The result is a 100% milk yield—no waste, no whey.
This development comes as pressure mounts on the global food industry to minimise environmental impact and maximise resource efficiency. Acid whey is not only a loss of nutrients and volume, but also a logistical headache. It is difficult to dispose of sustainably, and transporting it off-site for repurposing adds cost and carbon emissions.
Nutrilac® HighYield tackles these problems head-on. It requires minimal adjustments to existing dairy production lines and reduces reliance on bulky, high-maintenance filtration equipment. Arla claims the approach can cut milk use by up to 85% while delivering the same volume of end product. For dairies, this translates into faster processing, lower overheads, and greater flexibility.
The launch showcases four new dairy formats made possible by the technology: a thick, creamy Greek-style yoghurt with 4% fat; two high-protein cottage cheeses (7.4% and 10% protein respectively); and a spreadable cream cheese suitable for cooking. All benefit from the water-binding capacity of Nutrilac®, which helps maintain texture and flavour throughout shelf life.
“Our ‘no acid whey’ concept is a natural progression from our earlier focus on upcycling acid whey,” says Claus Bukbjerg Andersen, Senior Category Manager at Arla Foods Ingredients. “Now, instead of managing the waste, we’re eliminating it altogether. It’s a win for producers and for sustainability.”
The shift also plays into growing consumer appetite for high-protein, clean-label dairy products, as well as rising demand for environmentally responsible manufacturing. With climate-conscious buyers scrutinising how their food is made, dairy companies that can demonstrate waste-free production may gain a competitive edge.
For Arla, a company that serves leading global brands across sectors from infant formula to sports nutrition, Nutrilac® HighYield is more than a product—it's a statement about the future of dairy. And as the global food industry grapples with tightening margins and climate pressures, this kind of innovation may prove less optional and more essential.
