Dairy products are produced by subjecting a starting dairy material to nanofiltration to remove monovalent ions to produce an ion-depleted dairy permeate; passing the ion-depleted dairy permeate through an ion exchange column and subsequently with a sodium-containing eluting solution to produce sodium phosphate and sodium citrate derived from the starting material; concentrating the sodium phosphate and sodium citrate; and combining the concentrated sodium phosphate and sodium citrate with dairy components. The dairy product contains an amount of the concentrated sodium phosphate and sodium citrate sufficient to cause fat in the dairy product to be emulsified and protein in the dairy product to be hydrated. In addition or alternatively, a dairy by-product stream may be subjected to ion exchange to remove calcium therefrom; concentrated, and combined with dairy materials naturally containing phosphate and citrate in order to adjust the citrate+phosphate-to-calcium ratio to reach an emulsified dairy product.

A method of increasing height in a pediatric subject comprises enterally administering an exosome-enriched product comprising intact bovine milk-derived exosomes to the pediatric subject in need thereof. A method of promoting linear bone growth in a pediatric subject comprises enterally administering an exosome-enriched product comprising intact bovine milk-derived exosomes to the pediatric subject in need thereof. A method of obtaining an exosome-enriched product from cheese whey comprises subjecting the cheese whey to microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), and diafiltration (DF) steps, wherein the MF, UF, and DF steps employ, successively, membranes with cut off values which gradually decrease in size with each filtration step, wherein the cheese whey is sweet cheese whey and has a pH from about 6.0 to about 6.5.

Exosome purification methods involve use of a whey composition as an exosome source. Exosomes are isolated by subjecting the whey composition to a first ultrafiltration, which yields a first permeate and a first retentate. The first retentate may then be subjected to a second ultrafiltration, yielding a second permeate and a second retentate. During the second ultrafiltration, the first retentate may be treated with carbon dioxide. The second retentate may then be subjected to a third ultrafiltration, yielding a third permeate and a third retentate. The third permeate may then be optionally dried to yield an exosome powder.

Claimed is the preparation of an infant formula base product, comprising: (a) microfiltration (ME) of animal skim milk over a membrane having a porosity of 0.10-0.35 micrometer and operating with a volume concentration factor of 1.5-8, resulting in a retentate (MFR) and a permeate (MFP); (b) ultrafiltration (UF) of the MEP originating from step (a) over a membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of at most 25 kDa and operating with a volume concentration factor of 1.5-8, resulting in a retentate (UFR) and a permeate fUEP); (c) combining the MFR from step (a) and the UFR from step (b), to obtain a defined casein/whey ratio. Alternatively, the product of step (a) is used as a protein source. Claimed is also a composition comprising 40-50 g casein, 30-40 g lactose and 5-16 g ash per 100 g dry weight.

A demineralised whey powder is suggested which is obtainable by: (a) Separating raw milk, removing the cream; (b) Subjecting the skimmed milk such obtained to microfiltration or microdiafiltration, obtaining a whey protein-rich permeate P1 and a retentate R1 containing casein and GMP in the process; (c) Subjecting the permeate P1 to column chromatography separation, in which the lactoferrin contained therein remains on the column; (d) Subjecting the permeate, from which lactoferrin had been removed, to dialysis; and (e) Dehydrating the diluate such obtained.

A process for the coupled production of sweet whey and lactic acid from acid whey is suggested, comprising the following steps: (a) providing acid whey having a lactic acid content of about 0.1 to about 1% by weight; (b) nanofiltration of the acid whey, obtaining a first permeate P1 and a first retentate R1; (c) optionally, redilution of the first retentate R1 with water to reconstitute the initial dry matter content, and preparation of the second nanofiltration step; (d) nanofiltration or nano-diafiltration of the retentate R1, obtaining a second permeate P2 and sweet whey as a second retentate R2; (e) combining the two permeates P1 and P2 and subjecting the mixture to reverse osmosis, obtaining a third permeate P3 which, substantially, only contains water, and a concentrate of lactic acid as a third retentate R3.

Process for the treatment of a sweet whey material (SWM) containing cGMP (caseinoGlycoMacroPeptide), comprising the following steps: Decationising the SWM material so as to obtain a sweet whey SW having a pH value of 1 to 4.5; Treating said SW in a fluidized bed reactor comprising a volume of an anionic resin, at 10 to 18 C., wherein said SW contacts said resin so that the resin absorbs between 0% and 100% of the cGMP present in the SW; and Recovering a protein material; Wherein the treating is such that the resin absorbs 30 to 45 g/L of the cGMP present in the sweet whey. Method for producing a protein material from a SWM cGMP, said protein material having a targeted tryptophan/threonine (Trp/Thr) ratio, comprising the following steps: Implementing the treating process twice, wherein the resins absorbs P1 of the cGMP, obtaining a first protein material having Trp/Thr1 and wherein the resins absorbs a percentage P2 of the cGMP, obtaining a second protein material having Trp/Thr2; Drafting the linear calibration curve in a graph (cGMP %; Trp/Thr) by positioning (Trp/Thr1; P1) and (Trp/Thr2; P2) and drawing a line through these two plots; Determining the specific ratio of cGMP present in the SW that the resin should absorb with respect to the targeted Trp/Thr by the calibration curve; and Implementing the process of the invention on the SWM wherein the resins absorbs the specific ratio of cGMP, so that to obtain the protein material having the targeted Tp/Thr.

The present invention relates to a bioactive sweet whey protein concentrate or composition for increasing e.g. cognitive functions particularly in young mammals such as pre-term or term infants, toddlers, children or young adults. The present invention further disclose a new concept for large-scale industrial production method of bioactive whey protein concentrates or compositions by use of mild heat treatment and pressure driven membrane separation.

There is provided a method for the manufacture of a cream cheese, the method comprising: (i) providing cheese curds, (ii) providing a whey protein solution comprising ideal whey, (iii) subjecting the whey protein solution to a cavitation treatment sufficient to heat the whey protein solution to a temperature of at least 70 C. to provide a heat-treated whey protein solution, (iv) mixing the cheese curds and the heat-treated whey protein solution to form a mixture, and (v) subjecting the mixture to a texture-building heat-treatment to form the cream cheese.

Process for preparing lactose-free skimmed, partially skimmed and whole milk, comprising the following steps: 1) pasteurization and skimming, 2) enzymatic hydrolysis of the skimmed milk by lactase enzyme, 3) microfiltration of the hydrolysed skimmed milk and obtainment of a microfiltration retentate (RMF) and of a microfiltration permeate (PMF), 4) PMF ultrafiltration and obtainment of an ultrafiltration retentate (RUF) and of an ultrafiltration permeate (PUF), 5) first PUF nanofiltration and obtainment of the first nanofiltration retentate (RNF 1) and of a first nanofiltration permeate (PNF 1), 6) second PNF 1 nanofiltration and obtainment of a second nanofiltration retentate (RNF2) and of a second nanofiltration permeate (PNF2), and 7) final step: obtainment of lactose-free milk by mixing one or more of the fractions deriving from one or more of the previous steps, which is characterized in that: (I) the first nanofiltration of step 5) is carried out with membranes having a molecular weight cut-off ranging from 400 to 600 Da and the second nanofiltration is carried out with membranes having a molecular weight cut-off ranging from 150 to 250 Da, and (II) the final step 7) is carried out by mixing a composition comprising at least RUF, RNF1 and PNF2.