Abstract:
Whey is a by-product of the dairy industry, obtained during the manufacture of cheese,
paneer, or similar products by separation from curd after the coagulation of milk. Whey contains almost
all the nutrients of milk except casein and fat, thus making it highly nutritious. Whey is commonly
disposed of as waste in many countries. However, it is hazardous to dispose of whey directly into the
environment because several toxic substances are formed during the decomposition of whey, which can
have several harmful consequences for the environment. The production of a ready-toserve drink by
combining whey and fruit juice for human consumption has been shown to have good commercial
potential and also reduce the issues related to waste disposal. Therefore, a study was designed to
incorporate different proportions of whey into wood apple (Limonia acidissima) pulp with the aim of
developing a protein-rich, ready-to-serve drink. In the first trial, ready-to-serve drinks were prepared by
incorporating different ratios of (0%,10%, 20%, 30% and 40%) whey into wood apple pulp. Then, the
second trial was conducted by incorporating various ratios of (30%, 40% and 50%) whey into wood apple
pulp. Based on the results of sensory analysis using 5-point hedonic scale, 40% of whey incorporated
with 60% wood apple pulp readyto-serve drink was selected for further studies along with a control
(100% wood apple pulp). Then, physicochemical, and nutritional properties of raw materials and selected
ready-toserve drink and control were evaluated. According to this analysis, whey is a good source of
protein (13.31±0.02%), ash (8.74±0.03%) and phosphorous content (995.16±4.14 mg/100 g). Then,
shelflife studies were also carried out, and it reported ready-to-serve drinks can be stored for 60 days
without a significant increase in microbial content with the addition of SMS at 50 ppm. The cost of
production of the whey-incorporated drink (89 rupees/1000 g) is comparatively lower than the control
(129 rupees/1000 g). Therefore, it can be concluded that whey can be incorporated in wood apple pulp up to the ratio of 40:60 to prepare ready-to-serve beverages that have reasonable amounts of minerals, vitamins, and high-quality protein, which will be acceptable to consumers, and may solve the issue of waste disposal of whey.
