Transforming cheese whey into value-added protein hydrolysates: from bioactivity assessment to economic feasibility within a circular bioeconomy framework

Abstract This study aimed to valorize cheese whey, an abundant dairy agro-industrial co-product, by producing bioactive protein hydrolysates, characterizing their techno-functional properties, and assessing the economic feasibility of the proposed process. Ultrafiltration of cheese whey yielded a concentrate with 37% (w/w) protein content on a dry basis. The whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) obtained after 8 h of enzymatic treatment with Flavourzyme reached a degree of hydrolysis of 17.5%. Following spray drying, the resulting hydrolysate (WPH8H) exhibited antioxidant and anti-aging activities. Techno-functional characterization revealed 98.4% solubility, 4.6% foaming capacity, and 4.0% foam stability, while hydrolysis reduced β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) antigenicity by approximately 77% in the peptide fraction below 3 kDa. Economic assessment of the WPH8H production demonstrated a 93% return on investment and a payback period of two years, supporting the financial viability of the process. Overall, this study highlights the potential to convert underutilized cheese whey into high-value bioactive ingredients through an integrated framework encompassing process development, functional characterization, and economic analysis. The results indicate that the production of bioactive whey protein hydrolysates represents a higher value-added alternative compared to conventional whey utilization pathways, supporting the development of integrated and resource-efficient processing strategies within the dairy sector.