Global solutions in whey processing technology

Research and development work carried out by CPS on filtration, concentration and drying technology in a recent whey processing project in New Zealand, will have beneficial effects for the UK industry

A multi-million pound dairy project, which had its origins in the Netherlands and culminated on the other side of the world, is set to help bring major benefits to the UK dairy industry.

The CPS Group, which includes Carlisle Process Systems, the Dorset-based leading supplier of top quality process solutions to the dairy, cheese, food and beverage industries, has - through its Dutch arm - built and installed one of the largest milk powder drying systems anywhere in the world.

The company, CPS BV (formerly Stork Friesland), was in charge of the project from its design stage, through engineering and delivery to the setting up of the three evaporator lines and a spray dryer.

The new installation runs continuously, 24 hours a day, at the Fonterra facility in Clandeboye on the South Island of New Zealand.

Now Carlisle executives are forecasting that the research and development work carried out on filtration, concentration and drying technology, together with the practical experience gained by their technicians, will have beneficial effects for the UK and Irish dairy industries.

There is likely to be particular interest among those who are anxious to process whey - the major by-product of cheesemaking - rather than have to pay to dispose of it or even feed it to pigs.

In the cheesemaking industry, Carlisle Process Systems has been well known for decades with their Wincanton and Damrow product ranges but now can offer membrane filtration equipment and, through sister companies, spray drying and evaporation plant.

Carlisle Process Systems general manager Charles Todd and technical sales executive Terry Pothecary are predicting a great deal of interest in a Group that can supply the complete package.

"What CPS offer is global solutions backed with local service", says Mr Pothecary.

Mr Todd added that the experience gained in New Zealand - and with other major drying plants that CPS has installed in the UK and Ireland and all around the world - will give Carlisle an added edge over its competitors.

''The company has been greatly buoyed by this success and intends to build on it,'' he said.

As small cheesemaking companies seek to maximise their earnings they have quickly identified that money can be made out of the six per cent of protein-rich solids present in the whey liquid.

Properly treated, the solids extracted from the whey can be used in a range of products in place of skimmed milk powder and a whole variety of other food ingredient applications.

Terry Pothecary accepts that it takes an awful lot of liquid to produce small amounts of whey protein concentrate.

Anything less than 100,000 litres a day is unlikely to make for a successful enterprise.

But, he says, smaller cheesemakers should not be put off by this statistic.

By banding together, they can still take advantage of the Carlisle whey processing systems.

''We are getting more and more interest from groups of cheesemakers who are intent on getting together, building a central processing plant and then all transporting their whey from around the locality for processing.

This way it is cost-effective''.

Once the right equipment is installed cheesemakers reap the benefits instantly.

No longer do they have to pay for whey disposal, instead they get paid for the whey protein they produce.

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