Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods

Anna Vesnina; Anastasiya Fedorova; Irina Milentyeva; Larisa Proskuryakova

doi:10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48

UDC

PROCESSING WHEY AS SECONDARY DAIRY RAW MATERIAL IN FUNCTIONAL FOODS Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods

АА Аа

Published in Cheese- and buttermaking · Pages 61–66 · Rubric: Review article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48 · EDN: JFAFPO

Received: 09.01.2026 Accepted: 12.02.2026 Published: 12.03.2026 Language of publication: RUS

Authors

Anna Vesnina

ORCID SPIN

Anastasiya Fedorova

ORCID SPIN

Irina Milentyeva

ORCID SPIN

Larisa Proskuryakova

ORCID

Anna Vesnina

Kemerovo State University Russian Federation · Kemerovo

ORCID SPIN

Anastasiya Fedorova

Russian Federation

ORCID SPIN

Irina Milentyeva

Kemerovo State University Russian Federation · Kemerovo

ORCID SPIN

Larisa Proskuryakova

Kemerovo State University Russian Federation · Kemerovo

ORCID

ABSTRACT

Whey, its proteins, peptides, and lactose hold great promise for the functional food industry. Whey has an excellent biological potential but lacks plant polyphenols. Whey-based functional foods rely on the synergistic action of whey components and plant metabolites. This review covers 32 articles regarding the use of whey and plant metabolites as functional food ingredients. Most studies used encapsulated whey proteins to preserve the bioactivity and enhance the bioavailability of plant extracts. Native whey was primarily used in functional beverages. The bioactive profile was studied in vitro while the biological potential of whey remained understudied. Plant extracts, not individual compounds, usually served as sources of bioactive compounds. Future research prospects lie in the combined application of whey and its components with plant-derived bioactive substances. While the antioxidant potential of such functional foods is obvious, the synergistic effects may be hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and prebiotic.

KEYWORDS

whey, plant metabolites, functional food ingredients, bioactive substances, whey proteins, bioavailability

Funding

The work was carried out as part of the state assignment on the topic "Development of biologically active additives consisting of metabolites of plant objects in vitro, for protecting the population from premature aging" (project FZSR-2024-0008) using the equipment of the Center for Collective Use "Instrumental Methods of Analysis in the Field of Applied Biotechnology" at Kemerovo State University.

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Vesnina A. D., Fedorova A. M., Milentyeva I. S., Proskuryakova L. A. Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods // Cheese- and buttermaking. 2026. no. 1. pp. 61-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48. EDN: JFAFPO. (Date of access 06.09.2026).

MLA

Anna Vesnina, Fedorova A. M., Milentyeva I. S., Proskuryakova L. A.. "Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods." Cheese- and buttermaking.1 (2026): 61-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48. EDN: JFAFPO.

APA

Vesnina A. D., Fedorova A. M., Milentyeva I. S., Proskuryakova L. A. (2026). Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods. Cheese- and buttermaking(1), 61-66. https://doi.org/10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48 EDN: JFAFPO.

Chicago

Anna Vesnina, Fedorova A. M., Milentyeva I. S., Proskuryakova L. A.. "Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods." Cheese- and buttermaking, no. 1 (2026): 61-66. https://doi.org/10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48. EDN: JFAFPO.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Vesnina A. D., Fedorova A. M., Milentyeva I. S., Proskuryakova L. A. | title = Processing Whey as Secondary Dairy Raw Material in Functional Foods | journal = Cheese- and buttermaking | year = 2026 | issue = 1 | pages = 61-66 | doi = 10.21603/2073-4018-2026-1-48 }} EDN: JFAFPO

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