This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Reddy, C A Articles by Erdman, M D Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Reddy, C A Articles by Erdman, M D Agricola Articles by Reddy, C A Articles by Erdman, M D

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1976 December; 32(6): 769-776

Bacterial fermentation of cheese whey for production of a ruminant feed supplement rich in curde protein.

ABSTRACT

A simple and efficient process for the production of a ruminant feed supplement, rich in crude protein (defined as total N X 6.25), by bacterial fermentation of cheese whey has been developed. The lactose in unpasteurized whey is fermented to lactate acid by Lactobacillus bulgaricus at a temperature of 43 degrees C and pH 5.5. The lactic acid produced is continually neutralized with ammonia to form ammonium lactate. The fermented product is concentrated by evaporation to a solids content of about 70% and adjusted to pH 6.8 with additional ammonia. The concentrated product contains about 55% crude protein. Approximately 6 to 8% of the crude protein is derived from bacterial cells. 17% from whey proteins, and 75 to 77% from ammonium lactate. The efficiency of conversion of lactose to lactic acid usually exceeds 95%. The fermentation time is greatly reduced upon the addition of 0.2% yeast extract or 0.1% corn steep liquor as a source of growth factors. Whey containing lactose at concentrations up to 7% can be fermented efficiently, but at higher concentrations lactose is fermented incompletely. The process has been scaled up to a pilot plant level, and 40 tons of concentrated product were produced fro animal feeding trials, without ever encountering putrefactive spoilage.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Samuelov, N. S., Datta, R., Jain, M. K., Zeikus, J. G. (1999). Whey Fermentation by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens for Production of a Succinate-Based Animal Feed Additive. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2260-2263 [Abstract] [Full Text]