SAU Develops Next Generation Beverage Based on Whey, Soy Milk

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

A research project for developing a new generation of healthy beverage by  combining whey water (cheese water) and soy milk is accomplished at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka. The project is funded by BANBEIS implemented by the Dept. of Dairy Science of SAU.

Whey water is the liquid left over after milk is curdled and the solids (curd) are separated during cheese, paneer, or yogurt preparation. It is mostly water but still contains lactose (milk sugar), whey proteins, vitamins, and minerals fromthe original milk. Whey water is a nutritious dairy byproduct. It is a low calorie, dilute dairy liquid contains per 100 ml roughly:

SAU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Latif, Treasurer Prof. Md. Abul Basher and other faculty members in the workshop.

--Energy: about 10–25 kcal (most values cluster around 20–25 kcal when scaled from 100 g data).

--Protein: about 0.8–2 g.

--Carbohydrate (mainly lactose): about 3–5 g.

--Fat: about 0.1–0.4 g.

It also contains small amounts of calcium, potassium, and Bvitamins carried over from milk, but at much lower levels than in whole milk because whey water is mostly plain water.

Meanwhile Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) recently hosted a workshop on the issue-- “Development of Next Generation Beverage Based on Whey Water and Soy Milk” organized under the BANBEIS GARE project of the Ministry of Education and implemented by the Department of Dairy Science, where Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Md. Asaduzzaman presented research findings on creating a nutrient-rich, eco-friendly beverage by combining whey water and soy milk, noting their potential to reduce nutritional deficiencies in Bangladesh; the event was presided over by Prof. Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam, Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Latif as Chief Guest, who emphasized the shortage of healthy, adulteration-free drinks in the country and envisioned future SAU-branded products, while special guests included Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Belal Hossain, Treasurer Prof. Md. Abul Bashar, Director of SAURES Prof. Dr. F. M. Aminuzzaman, and Director of IQAC Prof. Dr. Md. Razzab Ali; experts from more than ten institutions joined to share insights.

Soy whey has clearly emerged as a strategic raw material for valueadded foods and beverages rather than a simple waste stream. By integrating soy whey into nutraceutical drinks, fermented products, and blended whey–soy formulations, the food industry can simultaneously reduce effluent load, cut ingredient costs, and meet rising demand for sustainable, highprotein, plantforward products.

(Prof. M Zahidul Haque is “Adjunct Faculty” in Agricultural Journalism Program, at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University)