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Whey Protein Production
This article will outline how ultra filtered whey protein concentrate is made for the inclusion in some of Reflex Nutrition’s most sought after protein products, a good example being Instant Whey.Step 1 – Milk. All of Reflex Nutrition’s protein starts from dairy herds that have be raised and reared in the EU without the use of banned anti-biotics, steroids or growth hormone. These cattle are also certified to be free from BSE, the cattle graze on rich pastures to obtain the best possible milk. The milk is collected on a daily basis by the farmers using milking machinery. Prior to milking each cow important checks are made to ensure that the cow’s milk meets the required standard. The cow is then milked using computerised machinery that mimics the action of a suckling calf, the whole process is designed to be a stress free as possible for the cow.  The milk is stored in refridgerated vats whilst it awaits collection by the dairy company. Milk is collected daily by large refridgerated lorries where it is then taken to the dairy plant to be pasteurised. The milk at this stage can either be sold either as full fat milk or used to make cheese which is what we are interested in. Step 2 – Cheese and Sweet Dairy Whey.After the milk has been pasteurised a bacteriological starter is added to 'sour' and thicken the milk. A renneting agent is added to the milk to form curds. Nowadays, most EU cheese produced uses a non-animal renneting agent, making the cheese suitable for vegetarians. The curd is left to set. The curds are cut so that the whey is released. The curds are either 'cooked' or are piled on top of each other, and further cut to expel whey. The whey that is expelled during this process used to be quite literally thrown away or fed to pigs. How times have changed! This whey or sweet dairy whey is the raw material used to make your favourite protein powder. Nowadays the sweet dairy is carefully collected and used in the next process. Step 3 – Ultra Filtration of Sweet Dairy WheySweet dairy whey is passed through vast numbers of ultra filtration units at room temperature. As the "whey" passes through the filters fat and lactose are removed to leave a concentrated whey protein in liquid suspension. The liquid concentrate is then dried and instantised for easy mixing. The whole process is carried out without the use of excess heat which helps prevent any damage occurring to the product.  Step 4 – Reflex Nutrition manufacture Instant WheyUsing strict IS09001 protocols Reflex Nutrition manufacture Instant Whey using whey protein exactly the same as described above. The tricky part is blending the material with the correct flavourings, colours and sweeteners. This manufacturing process is a trade secret so we cannot divulge it. However, this process is very carefully controlled to ensure that every batch we make matches up with our claims for protein content on the label. The process is exact and is just one reason why Reflex Nutrition are confidant in offering a full money back guarantee with every single whey protein product they make. |
