Analysis of South Australian Whey Processing Options (2017)

This study was commissioned by Dairy SA with funding from Green Industries SA Better Resource Use Grant Program 2016-17. The purpose was to gather baseline whey production data and investigate alternative options for application of the full range whey types generated from large and small South Australian cheese manufacturers.

The study has found the most promising opportunity for the use of whey from South Australia’s small to medium cheese manufacturers is as a liquid feed in a piggery operation. Full truckloads of whey are required for optimum cost / benefit when transferring to a piggery, or to a biogas or compost application.

To enjoy the benefit of these options, very small cheese manufacturers would need a combined pickup service whereby whey is collected from multiple sites to fill a truck in a single trip.