Whey, a generally wasted liquid by-product of cheesemaking, is a good substrate for vinegar production, a recent collaborative research study of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) revealed.

According to the joint study, small-scale manufacturers can produce vinegar from whey since it does not require expensive equipment.

The study titled “Utilization of Whey for Vinegar Production” determined the feasibility and the overall characteristics of whey as a substrate for vinegar production.

Specifically, it studied the following: the potential of sweet whey and medium acid whey for commercial vinegar production, the rate of ethanol production as affected by the use of whey for fermentation, the effect of different starters for acetic acid production, the effect of aeration on the rate of acetification and quality of the whey vinegar, the physicochemical and sensory properties of vinegar from whey as compared with commercial vinegar, and the cost of producing the whey vinegar.

The study used a T-test and a three-factor factorial with three replicates to determine the alcoholic and acetic acid fermentation, respectively, and was subjected to analysis of variance at 5% level of significance. To analyze the results of sensory and physicochemical evaluation, the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) and Sirichai Statistical Software were used.

Both sensory and physicochemical evaluations used eight treatments, four for sweet whey and four for medium acid whey, in a combination with two starters (Acetobacter acetii and unpasteurized vinegar) and acetic acid fermentation with and without aeration.

Results showed that out of the eight treatments tested, T4 (sweet whey with unpasteurized vinegar and aerated) and T8 (medium acid whey with unpasteurized vinegar and aerated) are the promising treatments based on the sensory evaluation involving 50 panelists. The two treatments were also found to have acidity levels of 3.51% and 3.55%, respectively, which were higher compared to that of commercial vinegar which has 2.88% of acidity.

In terms of overall acceptability and overall attributes, such as color, aroma, taste, mouth feel, off flavor, turbidity, sourness, and purchase intention, which were evaluated in the study, T8 had the highest scores compared to all treatments including the commercial vinegar.

Nevertheless, both sweet whey and medium acid whey can be used in vinegar production, the study suggests. Other findings of the study are as follows: the rate of ethanol production in medium acid whey is significantly faster compared to sweet acid whey, the unpasteurized vinegar is a better starter medium for expediting the rate of acid production and providing quality in the vinegar, the aeration increased the rate of acetification in the vinegar, and the medium acid whey (aerated) and sweet whey (anaerated) can be produced at a minimal cost.The results conclude that whey is economically feasible as a substrate for vinegar production.

The study recommended that further studies should be conducted on the use of different starters in the whey vinegar production such as Candida, Kluveromyces marxianus and Kluyveromyces fragilis. It also recommended studies on the evaluation of the effect of other starters for acetic acid (Acetobacter pasteurianus), and exploring the possibility of using whey as substrate for distilled ethanol production. The study also suggests that buying of compressor may also be considered to lessen the cost of aerated vinegar production. Compressor is a mechanical device that is used to compress and pressurize air in the vinegar during aeration process.

The study was conducted by Rica Neanne D. Perez, Catherine Jane M. Callanga, Ma. Princess D. Veneracion, Jessica M. Rustia, and Mina P. Abella. It was co-implemented by PCC at CLSU and CLSU and was funded by the former.