It's well known that a wealth of dairy byproducts represent valuable markets for the dairy processor. Unlike consumer products, these do not require special packaging, flavoring or promotional efforts. The markets are easy and inexpensive to research. The products themselves only require "harvesting" from what is essentially product going to waste - product the dairy processor already has on hand in volume, such as whey.
The hurdle for the processor is that until recently, low fraction volumes and the extremely high cost to separate and individualize fractions from within the whey stream created a solid roadblock to discovering which market niche might offer the best revenue potential for their individual situation. This is changing with the advent of a multi-filtration method known generically as closed loop ultrafiltration technology. Laboratory and working trials have shown that using by this type of ultrafiltration technology it is not only feasible to separate commercially valuable components from basic dairy fluids, but it is easy and cost effective. This area of new application opportunities for dairy processors will open up profit centers that complement their current production processes.