One was casein but there was a problem – how to deal with a potential deluge of polluting waste whey produced as a by-product.
That led to an intense focus on science, advanced engineering and innovative marketing by the dairy industry.
The answer was ultrafiltration, a technique that enabled the production of whey protein concentrates. They could be tailored as specialised food ingredients and were so valuable that processing highly dilute whey became very profitable.
For some years we led the world in techniques that now earn New Zealand more than $1 billion a year, our biggest waste to riches story.
A new book, Whey to Go, describes the revolution and how it came about.
The book was written by several of the pioneers: Ken Kirkpatrick, Kevin Marshall, Dave Woodhams, Mike Matthews, Peter Hobman, Lee Huffman, Jim Harper, Robin Fenwick and Arthur Wilson.
The book also reveals the hitherto secret relationship with Coca-Cola, which led to us getting into ultrafiltration and whey protein concentrate in the first place.
Whey to Go is available from Ngaio Press at www.ngaiopress.com/whey.htm.
