A review of magnetic separation of whey proteins and potential application to whey proteins recovery, isolation and utilization

Cheese whey (CW) is a voluminous effluent generatin environmental and economic impact in milk producing countries. Proteins from CW are useful for biotechnological applications. Available procedures to purify CW are complex and expensive. Magnetic nanotechnology emerges as an alternative to attain this goal. Magnetic nanoparticles are easily and economically prepared and can be formulated to selectively bind proteins in whey. Magnetic decantation allows simple and fast protein isolation by means of a magnet. The extra advantage is the possibility to regenerate and reuse the magnetic material in successive cycles. In this contribution, competitiveness of magnetic nanodevices is reviewed as a potential tool for the valorisation and remediation of milk industry wastes. A critical analysis of recompiled data is included comparing magnetic nanomaterials with the current technologies intended for CW treatments. The purpose is to determine the most important factors that carry towards an effective recovery of proteins for diverse applications.