Whey Ultrafiltration Research Articles

Regularities of the transition of substances from permeate to molasses in the process of lactose recovery

Crystalline lactose is produced all over the world in large quantities. The main raw material used for crystalline lactose manufacturing is permeate obtained by ultrafiltration of milk and whey. It is believed that it is better to use sweet whey permeate, but the modern world has adapted to use other sources rich in lactose. Molasses is a by-product of crystalline lactose production. Its composition varies depending on the characteristics of the feedstock, the parameters of crystallization, the use of various methods required in the technological process. In foreign countries, molasses is considered as complex raw material, but at the same time it is used for various purposes, used for feeding animals and fertilizing soils, as a nutrient medium for microorganisms’ cultivation. In Russia, molasses as a by-product of dry lactose manufacturing is practically not widespread; it was mainly used to obtain feed additives for animals. Food and pharmaceutical lactose production development gives an impetus to start studying and creating new products based on dairy molasses. Molasses has a significant good quality, which allows it to be used as a raw material in the development of functional products based on lactose and its derivatives.

Variety of dairy ultrafiltration permeates and their purification in lactose production

A large amount of crystalline lactose is produced globally. The major source for lactose production is the ultrafiltration permeate of sweet whey. However, some other rich in lactose sources are available in the dairy industry such as ultrafiltration permeates of milk or acid whey. Although lactose remains the most abundant component in all ultrafiltration permeates, their composition can differ considerably. Specifically, large variations in the content of lactate, citrate, phosphate, and calcium are observed. Modern technology of lactose purification is optimized for the processing of feed with low acidity. Lactic acid cannot be sufficiently removed from acid whey ultrafiltration permeate, i.e. the latter is poorly processable with current techniques. However, a toolbox of industrial purification methods offers alternative ways to refine dairy fluids with high lactic acid or calcium content such as acid whey ultrafiltration permeate. Here we discuss the variety of processes that yield ultrafiltration permeates and present a proximate composition of permeates obtained from different sources in the dairy industry. The methods suitable for the purification of ultrafiltration permeate solutions within the framework of lactose manufacture are reviewed in the paper. We also share our vision on how lactose production can be adapted to the processing of ultrafiltration permeates with high lactic acid content.

Hydrolysis of whey lactose: Kluyveromyces lactis β-galactosidase immobilisation and integrated process hydrolysis-ultrafiltration

The β-galactosidase (β-gal) from Kluyveromyces lactis was immobilised in calcium alginate spheres and a new integrated process was investigated using hydrolysis and ultrafiltration of whey. Samples of bovine, caprine, and bubaline whey were treated. The effects of pH, temperature, storage and thermal stability were studied for the free and immobilised β-gal. For both free and immobilised enzyme, optimum pH and temperature was found to be 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively. Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) was 2.86 and 4.37 mm for the free and immobilised enzyme, respectively. Reuse, storage, and thermal stability of the β-gal were increased by immobilisation. The integrated hydrolysis-UF resulted in similar values of protein concentration and permeate flux to that obtained by independent UF. The proposed hydrolysis-UF process was demonstrated to be efficient in reducing the operational time by combining two operations in addition to the enzyme reuse.

Contribution of biofouling to permeation flux decline and membrane resistance changes during whey ultrafiltration

This study aimed to quantify the effects of biofouling on the performance of an ultrafiltration system during 24-h recirculation of whey solutions at 0 and 0.8% (w/v) protein. Biofouling by Streptococcus thermophilus and the intrinsic microflora of the ultrafiltration system was either allowed or inhibited with 10 mm sodium azide. Permeate fluxes were reduced by biofouling after 24 h, as normalised flux values with biofouling were 29.0% lower than without biofouling for 0%-protein whey, and 6.5% lower for 0.8%-protein whey. Furthermore, the membrane hydraulic resistances increased, allowing the measurement of biofouling-specific irreversible and reversible resistance values (Rbio) which accounted for 30.7–44.4% of the total fouling layer resistances. These results provide evidence that biofouling can negatively affect the performance of a single ultrafiltration operation. Consequently, pre-treatment of dairy fluids, biofilm management and optimised cleaning procedures are needed to limit the negative impacts of membrane biofouling.

Effect of Streptococcus thermophilus cell deposition on flux reduction during ultrafiltration of whey constituents

This study aimed to quantify the contribution of Streptococcus thermophilus cell deposition to the flux decline observed during ultrafiltration of cheese whey constituents using an unstirred batch cell system. Bacterial cells were suspended in model solutions of sodium chloride, of sodium chloride supplemented with either whey protein isolate, β-lactoglobulin or α-lactalbumin, or of whey permeate. Permeate fluxes were compared with those of sterile solutions. Normalised flux dropped by 20–27 percent points when bacterial cells were filtered with whey proteins and only by 5.0–6.7 percent points in the absence of whey proteins. Whey proteins filled void spaces between bacteria by behaving like an extracellular matrix, reducing the fouling layer's permeability. It was hypothesised that electrostatic interactions between bacteria and protein led to a more cohesive cake. This study provides insight on possible interactions between bacterial cells and whey proteins that might exacerbate fouling during industrial whey ultrafiltration.

Preparation and characterization of iron-chelating peptides from whey protein: An alternative approach for chemical iron fortification

Iron fortification of staple food is a strategy utilized worldwide to address the concern of dietary iron deficiency. However, traditional salt-based fortification methods have limitations with gastrointestinal stability and bioavailability. Iron chelating peptides from easily available and scalable proteins such as whey protein have been proposed as promising candidates to circumvent the above mentioned limitations by enhancing iron absorption and bioavailability. In this study, we report methods to produce whey protein derived iron-chelating peptides and describe their physicochemical characteristics. Peptides derived from whey proteins prepared by ultrafiltration of whey followed by hydrolysation were iron chelated to produce peptide-iron complexes. These complexes had a size of 422.9 ± 3.41 nm, chelated iron content of 36.42 µg/ mg protein, and a low zeta potential (−10.80 mV) compared to whey peptides. Spectra analysis using ultraviolet–visible absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed structural transformation indicating iron chelation. Mass spectrometric analysis using LC-MS/MS confirmed the presence of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides in the complexes with sizes ranging from 275 Da to 1916 Da. Furthermore, reduction in the antioxidant property of peptides following iron complexing indicates iron chelation. Our results suggest that whey protein derived peptide-iron complexes can be used as a potential alternative for chemical iron fortificants for food products and also as iron supplements.

Технологический прорыв аграрно-пищевых инноваций молочного дела на примере универсального сельхозсырья. Нанофильтрация

Aim. Consideration nanofiltration as a process of membrane technology – directed and controlled filtration of whey through special semipermeable partitions (membrane filters) with a pore size of 1-5 nm, carried out at a pressure of 0.7-4.0 MPa with the release of particles with a molecular weight of 0.5-1.0 kDa. Discussion. Nanofiltration allows you to separate the whey as a system by the size of the components – microparticles and macromolecules. In this case, from pre – separated, processed by microfiltration and ultrafiltration of whey to nanoconcentrate (retentate) pass almost all the compounds of whey, and in nanofiltrate (permeate) - only monovalent ions of mineral salts and partially some organic acids. Nanofiltration, in the logistics of molecular sieve separation of whey, takes over from ultrafiltration and is a harbinger of reverse osmosis. The theoretical foundations of the nanofiltration process are developed at a fairly good level. The basic element of the process is the membranes. Based on the conducted research, we can recommend the nanofiltration process for industrial processing of salted whey into milk sugar (lactose) and for concentrating whey and its ultrafiltrates before electrodialysis or ion exchange desalination. Nanofiltration is already widely used in the production of high-quality lactose (milk sugar). Considerable interest nanofiltration cottage cheese (acid) whey with the purpose of concentration, demineralization and sensory nanoconcrete for the enrichment of ice cream. Conclusion. Nanofiltration can be quite reasonably used for processing, within the framework of the Technological Breakthrough, universal agricultural raw materials – for example, whey and its ultrafiltrates – for the purpose of concentration, directed demineralization, lowering the level of organic acids and controlling sensorics. The resulting nanoconcentrate (retentate) can be used to scale functional products.

From cheese whey permeate to Sakacin-A/bacterial cellulose nanocrystal conjugates for antimicrobial food packaging applications: a circular economy case study

Applying a circular economy approach, this research explores the use of cheese whey permeate (CWP), by-product of whey ultrafiltration, as cheap substrate for the production of bacterial cellulose (BC) and Sakacin-A, to be used in an antimicrobial packaging material. BC from the acetic acid bacterium Komagataeibacter xylinus was boosted up to 6.77 g/L by supplementing CWP with β-galactosidase. BC was then reduced to nanocrystals (BCNCs, 70% conversion yield), which were then conjugated with Sakacin-A, an anti-Listeria bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus sakei in a CWP based broth. Active conjugates (75 Activity Units (AU)/mg), an innovative solution for bacteriocin delivery, were then included in a coating mixture applied onto paper sheets at 25 AU/cm2. The obtained antimicrobial food package was found effective in reducing Listeria population in storage trials carried out on a fresh Italian soft cheese (named “stracchino”) intentionally inoculated with Listeria. Production costs of the active material have been mainly found to be associated (90%) to the purification steps. Setting a maximum prudential 50% cost reduction during process up-scaling, conjugates coating formulation would cost around 0.89 €/A4 sheet. Results represent a practical example of a circular economy production procedure by using a food industry by-product to produce antimicrobials for food preservation.

Технологический прорыв аграрно-пищевых инноваций молочного дела на примере универсального сельхозсырья. Ультрафильтрация

Aim. Consideration of ultrafiltration as a process of membrane technology – directed and con-trolled filtration of whey through special semipermeable filters (membrane filters) with a pore size of 10-100 nm, carried out at a pressure of 0.3-1.0 MPa. Material and Methods. The research was conducted using methods of graphical representation of information, trend analysis, comparison method, analogy and systematization, analysis and com-parison of empirical material. Discussion. Ultrafiltration allows you to separate whey as a system by the size of the components-microparticles and macromolecules. In this case, from pre-separated or Microfiltered whey to UV – concentrate (retentate), the remains of milk fat (up to 0.1%) and high-molecular compounds (at the level of 0.5%) – a complex of whey proteins, and UV-filtrate (permeate) – soluble compounds (lac-tose, mineral salts and BAS). Ultrafiltration, in the logistics of molecular sieve separation of whey, takes over from microfiltration and is a precursor to nanofiltration. The process of ultrafiltration of whey is well studied, developed, hardware designed and scaled in the dairy industry. The effective-ness of ultrafiltration purification of subsurface serum using various semipermeable membranes was studied. The criteria for selecting membranes were selectivity – maximum for protein and minimum for lactose, and the same permeability. The «neural network» methodology was used for system ap-proximation of research results. Conclusion. As a result of research, the technology of milk sugar (lactose) of the food category of quality and the original technological scheme for the production of dry whey have been devel-oped.in the dairy industry.

Removal of biofilms formed on ion-exchange membranes in ultrafiltration permeates of secondary dairy raw materials

The modelling of biofilm development on MK-40 and MA-41Π ion-exchange membrane coupons was conducted in skim milk, sweet whey and acid whey ultrafiltration permeates. The membranes were suspended in permeates for up to five days at the room temperature. The incubation was followed with cleaning procedure including water rinsing, acidic, enzymatic and alkaline steps. The efficiency of each step was estimated by the optical densities of waste cleaning solutions relative to original values prior to cleaning. Cleaning efficiency was influenced by the growth medium, type of membrane and incubation time. The biofilms formed in acid whey permeate showed the highest resistance to the introduced cleaning procedure. Moreover, no increase in the optical density of cleaning solutions was observed for 24-h-old biofilms formed in acid whey permeate. Generally, biofilms demonstrated better attachment to MA-41Π membranes. The acidic cleaning step appeared to remove the highest amount of biofilm material from the membrane. However, in some cases, the full cleaning procedure was insufficient to remove a biofilm.

Simulating the ultrafiltration of whey proteins isolate using a mixture model

Ultrafiltration (UF) is widely used in the fractionation and concentration of milk proteins. During this process, proteins concentrate at the membrane surface, increasing the resistance of the membrane system, and decreasing permeate flux leaving the process unit. In this study we use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to examine the UF of whey proteins. Specifically we employ a multiphase mixture model to predict the solid concentration and velocity distributions near the membrane, under both dead-end and crossflow modes. As whey proteins have a fairly compact globular structure we use hard sphere theory to model the suspension permeability and osmotic pressure: Notably these properties depend only on parameters that can be independently measured, such as protein size and concentration. Model predictions are found to be in good agreement with experimental flux data for both flow modes, significantly in the absence of any additional resistance models representing (for example) pore blockage, surface adsorption or gel/cake formation. We find that during dead-end filtration, the extent of flux decline is logically dependent on the concentration film thickness and maximum solids concentration attained at the membrane surface. Under crossflow conditions suspension advection from the bulk towards the membrane increases the permeate flux, particularly along any upstream membrane area edges. Simulating the system using simplified 2D geometries produces qualitative, rather than quantitative agreement with experiment, highlighting the need to capture the system geometry accurately when modelling concentration polarisation (CP) effects. This work shows that industrially relevant whey protein filtration can be predicted via the multiphase modelling of hard sphere suspensions, using as-measured particle sizes, and points to more accurate methods for optimising and designing whey UF systems.

Optimization of ultrafiltration of whey using Taguchi method for maximizing recovery of lactose

The current work focuses on establishing optimized conditions for operating parameters of ultrafiltration such as whey source, transmembrane Pressure (TMP), retentate to permeate ratio, membrane type, molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and temperature so as to maximize lactose recovery. Orthogonal L16 array created by Taguchi method using MINITAB 19 software was used for obtaining a compact experimental design to analyse the effect of all the operating parameters and their levels on the associated important responses as permeate recovery, permeate flux, fouling and recovery of lactose after crystallization. Whey source was found to be most imperative parameter for reduction in fouling and for maximizing the lactose recovery after crystallization. The dominant effect of whey source was attributed to the variation in pH of whey with different sources. The permeate recovery and permeate flux were found to be highly dependent on the TMP and membrane type respectively with considerable desirability for membrane MWCO as well. For permeate recovery, use of acid whey at 1.5 bar with 1:3 as the retentate to permeate ratio, hydrosart membrane of 10 kDa cut off and temperature of 30 °C were found to be the optimum conditions which was also the case for permeate flux except with different value of the optimum ratio as 1:1. The response of fouling showed slight deviation in optimum levels which was also observed for lactose recovery after crystallization. Overall, a systematic study with the help of statistical analysis demonstrated the best possible operating conditions and their influence on desired output.

From Cheese Whey Permeate to Sakacin A: A Circular Economy Approach for the Food-Grade Biotechnological Production of an Anti-Listeria Bacteriocin.

Cheese Whey Permeate (CWP) is the by-product of whey ultrafiltration for protein recovery. It is highly perishable with substantial disposal costs and has serious environmental impact. The aim of the present study was to develop a novel and cheap CWP-based culture medium for Lactobacillus sakei to produce the food-grade sakacin A, a bacteriocin exhibiting a specific antilisterial activity. Growth conditions, nutrient supplementation and bacteriocin yield were optimized through an experimental design in which the standard medium de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) was taken as benchmark. The most convenient formulation was liquid CWP supplemented with meat extract (4 g/L) and yeast extract (8 g/L). Although, arginine (0.5 g/L) among free amino acids was depleted in all conditions, its supplementation did not increase process yield. The results demonstrate the feasibility of producing sakacin A from CWP. Cost of the novel medium was 1.53 €/L and that of obtaining sakacin A 5.67 €/106 AU, with a significant 70% reduction compared to the corresponding costs with MRS (5.40 €/L, 18.00 €/106 AU). Taking into account that the limited use of bacteriocins for food application is mainly due to the high production cost, the obtained reduction may contribute to widening the range of applications of sakacin A as antilisterial agent.

Biosurfactants Production Using Permeate from Whey Ultrafiltration and Bioproduct Recovery by Membrane Separation Process

AbstractThe management of whey is a challenge for dairy products where the volume produced is remarkable. This problem is minimized through membrane separation processes (MSP) to obtain whey protein concentrate, which has high added value. However, a permeate effluent stream is still generated that is composed of lactose, vitamins, and minerals, which can serve as raw material for the production of biotechnological compounds. Thus, this study aimed to produce biosurfactants using the permeate from whey ultrafiltration as part of the culture media of the bioprocess, to recover the biosurfactant produced using MSP, and to identify the biocompound. The production was carried out using Bacillus methylotrophicus and Bacillus pumilus. The variables nitrogen source (urea or ammonium sulfate), nitrogen source concentration (0.5% or 1.0%), inducer (soybean oil or biodiesel), inducer concentration (1% or 2%), and the addition of micronutrients (with our without) were studied using a fractional factorial experimental design 25‐1IV. In the fermentation processes, it was possible to verify the biosurfactant production through the reduction of surface tension, obtaining a minimum value of 35.07 mN/m for B. methylotrophicus and 26.02 mN/m for B. pumilus. Recovery via MSP was an efficient strategy for biosurfactant purification, which was concentrated in the fraction of the retentate. We produced a high‐value‐added biocompound identified as surfactin, valuing the permeate residue from whey ultrafiltration.

Solving the problem of using dairy waste in Russia

The present work is devoted to the problem of whey utilization, which is a by-product in the production of cheese and curd. We carried out analysis of modern Russian and foreign inventions aimed at waste-free milk treatment. We propose a modern waste-free method for curd production, which ensures the full use of the milk components. We carried out modeling of curd production process. The curd production process was presented as a combination of the most important technological operations – ultrafiltration whey treatment, mixing, thermocoagulation and clot treatment. We developed a structure of information flows, which totally characterizes waste-free technology of curd production. Alongside with that we proposed a structure of information flows accepted for mathematical modeling of the process. We propose models for formation of mathematical expectation of protein content in curd depending on the process factors, for which we used the regression equations. In this case, it turned out to be expedient to use linear dependencies. This can be explained by the fact that theory, research methods and calculation of linear models are developed deeper than others and require less computation. The question of applicability of such a model was resolved on the basis of checking its adequacy. The task of calculating the parameters of the model was solved on the basis of experimental data processing, which are the results of a passive experiment on study the waste-free curd production. Mathematical processing of experimental data allowed us to derive a regression equation and establish a correlation between the factors of curd production process and its protein content.

Effect of Ultrasonication on Membrane Structure and Flux Recovery for Whey Ultrafiltration

In this study, the effect of ultrasound irradiation on the flux recovery and fouling mitigation for the membranes made of the polysulfone by the phase inversion method were investigated. Two ultrasound irradiation regimes, including inside and outside the module, were chosen for this study. The experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of ultrasound irradiation on the membrane structure and cleaning. The ultrasound was irradiated in the frequency of 20 kHz and at the intensity of 25.5-127.4 W/cm2. When the membranes were irradiated directly out of the module, they may be damaged and the large holes were formed due to remaining in direct acoustic cavitation area. The flux recovery for the whey ultrafiltration process was increased with the increase of the irradiation time and the ultrasound intensity. The released energy which is the result of the cavitation threshold of bubbles indirectly may clean the foulant. During 60 min ultrasound irradiation, the flux recoveries were between 83-91% for membranes. At the probe distance of 1 cm from the module and after 20 min, the destruction or cracks in the membrane may be happened. The FE-SEM showed that the adjacent holes were connected and the crack was formed. The results for using the ultrasound for cleaning the fouled membranes showed that in the long distances, a large number of cavitation bubbles collapses before they reach to the membrane and in short distance, due to higher energy density, the produced acoustic and turbulence stream are increased and the membrane may be damaged.

Front-face fluorescence spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to detect high proteinaceous matter in milk and whey ultrafiltration permeate

Proteinaceous matter can leak into the permeate stream during ultrafiltration (UF) of milk and whey and lead to financial losses. Although manufacturers can measure protein content in the finished permeate powders, there is currently no rapid monitoring tool during UF to identify protein leak. This study applied front-face fluorescence spectroscopy (FFFS) and chemometrics to identify the fluorophore of interest associated with the protein leak, develop predictive models to quantify true protein content, and classify the types of protein leak in permeate streams. Crude protein (CP), nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), true protein (TP), tryptone-equivalent peptide (TEP), α-lactalbumin (α-LA), and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) contents were measured for 37 lots of whey permeate and 29 lots of milk permeate from commercial manufacturers. Whey permeate contained more TEP than did milk permeate, whereas milk permeate contained more α-LA and β-LG than did whey permeate. The types of protein leak were thus identified for predictive model development. Based on excitation-emission matrix (EEM) of high- and low-TP permeates, tryptophan excitation spectra were collected for predictive model development, measuring TP content in permeate. With external validation, a useful model for quality control purposes was developed, with a root mean square error of prediction of 0.22% (dry basis) and a residual prediction deviation of 2.8. Moreover, classification models were developed using partial least square discriminant analysis. These classification methods can detect high TP level, high TEP level, and presence of α-LA or β-LG with 83.3%, 84.8%, and 98.5% cross-validated accuracy, respectively. This method showed that FFFS and chemometrics can rapidly detect protein leaks and identify the types of protein leak in UF permeate. Implementation of this method in UF processing plants can reduce financial loss from protein leaks and maintain high-quality permeate production.

Ultrasound assisted ultrafiltration of whey using dual frequency ultrasound for intensified recovery of lactose

The current work focuses on intensifying ultrafiltration applied for recovery of lactose from whey using ultrasound with detailed studies into effect of operating parameters such as power and frequency to maximize the degree of intensification. Ultrasonic probe (22 kHz frequency) at varying supplied power from 50 W to 120 W and dual frequency ultrasonic reactor (22 kHz and 44 kHz operated individually and in combination) at varying power from 120 W to 400 W has been applied for intensification. It was observed that ultrasonic dual frequency reactor showed better results compared to the ultrasonic probe. The permeate recovery increased with an increase in the power typically till an optimum dependent on the reactor. Similarly, the dual frequency operation resulted in enhanced yields compared to single frequency. The calculations for fouling resistances and extent of fouling established that minimum overall fouling resistance and subsequent minimum extent of fouling was obtained as 16.5 × 1013 m−1 and 31.3% respectively in the case of dual frequency operation at optimized power. It was demonstrated that use of ultrasound reduced the fouling by about 32% compared to the conventional approach. Ultrasound assisted ultrafiltration was demonstrated as an effective approach to increase lactose recovery with improved membrane operation due to reduced fouling.

Optimization of Cheese Whey Ultrafltration/Diafltration for the Production of Beverage Liquid Protein Concentrates with Lactose Partially Removed

The processing of cheese whey pre-concentrated by reverse osmosis is carried out through ultrafiltration in diafiltration mode to produce whey protein concentrates with lower lactose content to be incorporated in beverages. The initial cheese whey protein and lactose contents are 2.13g/100g and 13.22g/100g, respectively.The commercial membranes, GR95PP, supplied by Alfa Laval, Denmark, were characterized in terms of a hydraulic permeability of 1.21 l/(h∙m^2∙bar) and a molecular weight cut-off of 7500 Dalton. The permeation tests were carried out in a plate and frame Lab-Unit 20 from Alfa Laval, Denmark, and a membrane surface area of 0.072 m2 was installed.The ultrafiltration of cheese whey in total recirculation mode yielded two asymptotic variations of the permeate fluxes versus the transmembrane pressure. For operating pressures up to 12 bar the permeate flux increases linearly with the pressure. Then, with the increasing pressure, they deviate from linearity and reach a limiting flux of 8.79 l/(h∙m^2∙bar) at 30 bar. The slope of the asymptotic linear variation is 0.48 l/(h∙m^2∙bar). To have minimal effects of concentration polarization the operating pressure was set-up at 12 bar.The optimization of ultrafiltration/diafiltration was carried out in terms of the volumetric concentration factors and the frequency of diavolumes addition. At a volumetric concentration factor of 1.32 the lactose content decreased from 13.22% to 5.7%.

A Contribution for the Valorisation of Sheep and Goat Cheese Whey through Nanofiltration.

The amount of cheese whey generated from the production of speciality sheep and goat cheese is significantly growing due to the acclaimed nutritional and medicinal benefits of the milk from these species. However, most of the cheese whey generated has no applications, thus giving rise to environmental problems. This work focuses on the study of the performance of the nanofiltration process for recovering the permeates of ultrafiltration from sheep and goat cheese whey. Nanofiltration experiments were carried out with membranes of nanofiltration (NF) in total recirculation and concentration modes, at 25 °C. Nanofiltration of the ultrafiltration permeates from sheep cheese whey was done at a pressure of 3.0 × 106 Pa and a circulation velocity of 1.42 m·s−1, until a volume concentration factor (VCF) of 2.5. Nanofiltration of the permeates from ultrafiltration of goat cheese whey was performed at a pressure of 2.0 × 106 Pa and a circulation velocity of 0.94 m·s−1, until a VCF of 2.0. From the results, it was concluded that osmotic pressure was the most important factor affecting the performance of the process. In both cases, the final permeates had a much lower organic load and its future use in the process of cheese making should be evaluated.