Precipitation of cheddar cheese whey lipids by electrochemical acidification.

Lipid separation from cheddar cheese whey allows a better valorization of protein fractions. In this study, bipolar membrane electroacidification (BMEA) was used to obtain precipitates with a high level of lipids. Whey samples with normal and low (by way of electrodialysis) mineral salt levels have been treated by a BMEA process and centrifuged. The composition of flocs and precipitation yields were determined. The BMEA process increased lipid precipitation rates by almost 50% in comparison with a centrifugation step only whereas a demineralization step prior to electroacidification had a limited effect on the precipitation level. Precipitates obtained were mainly composed of lipids (probably phospholipids) but also contained proteins. BMEA of cheddar cheese whey would allow the production of a lipid-enriched fraction and of a protein-enriched whey.