The Sepralac® Process enables the isolation of high value whey protein isolate, alphalactalbumin, lactoferrin and CGMP for use in infant formulae, performance foods and other functional foods. Commercial plants capable of processing over 100,000 liters of whey per day have been commissioned.
Sepradebitt® process to debitter and de-acify citrus juice and the Sepraflavone® Process to isolate the natural “phyto” estrogen of Isoflavone from soy are currently in commercial evaluations with potential licenses.
The development of the market for special constituents in milk offers some very interesting opportunities to the dairy industry and to the many different industries using such constituents in their formulated products.
These products are unique in their applications. It offers new possibilities in the search for an improved and better lifestyle and for curing illnesses and health problems by using ingredients extracted from natural sources. The Sepralac® process has made it possible to isolate certain proteins from whey in a cost-effective manner, which is easily scalable to the requirements of the market.
A major producer in New Zealand is the first licensee and is already producing products. In Europe the first licensee is a major Irish ingredient producer.
Sepragen offers the technology to a limited number of producers and expects to have seven licensees around the world within the next couple of years.
| Ingredient | Attribute | Application |
|---|---|---|
| a -lactalbumin | Tryptophan content Essential amino acids Branched chain amino acids |
Humanized baby food Nutritional products Sports drink formulations |
| Lactoferrin | Sequesters iron Antimicrobial agent in body Immunostimulating effect |
Infant formula Nutritional bars Sports & performance products Medical products |
| Lactoperoxidase | Antibacterial agent in body | Shampoo Toothpaste Acne preparation |
| Glycomicropeptides | Body weight management Appetite suppressant Management of phenylketonuria |
Sports performance products Medical products |
The process for producing WPI, alpha-enriched WPI, beta-enriched WPI, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and glycomicropeptides is shown in the figure below:
In order to capture the proteins on the resin, the pH of the whey is adjusted to a low pH. This will give all the proteins a positive charge, which will bind it to the negatively charged SepraPrep-S resin.
The pretreated and pH-adjusted whey is loaded on the column after the column has been equilibrated. Then the column is washed with water and the proteins are eluted by means of patented ‘Opposing Salt and pH’ gradients.
The process fractions are processed in an ultra- and diafiltration plant, where the protein is concentrated to 25-27% total solids, while the permeate containing the buffer salt solution is processed in a reverse osmosis plant, concentrating it to 2-3% solids for re-use.
The protein concentrate is dried in a spray dyer, which can be of the tall-form type using an inlet air temperature of 180°C.
Assumptions
250,000 liters of whey per day
Sweet cheese whey, pre-treated, past., normal comp.
24 hours per day, 300 days a year
| Products | Market Price US D/Kg |
|---|---|
| Permeate | 0.18 |
| Whey Protein Isolate | 7.5 |
| a –enriched WPI | 15 |
| ß-enriched WPI | 9 |
| Lactoferrin | 250 |
| Lactoperoxidase | 300 |
| Annual Prod. (Kg) | Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPI | 364,500 | 362,800 | |
| a –enriched WPI | 145,120 | ||
| ß-enriched WPI | 217,680 | ||
| Lactoferrin | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Lactoperoxidase | 500 | 500 | |
| Permeate | 4,110,000 | 4,110,000 | 4,110,000 |
| Annual Prod. (USD) | Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPI | 2,773,750 | 2,721,000 | |
| a–enriched WPI | 2,176,800 | ||
| ß-enriched WPI | 1,959,120 | ||
| Lactoferrin | 300,000 | 300,000 | |
| Lactoperoxidase | 150,000 | 150,000 | |
| Total | 2,773,750 | 3,171,000 | 4,585,920 |
| Permeate* | 739,800 | 739,800 | 739,800 |
| Annual Prod. Costs | USD |
|---|---|
| Depreciation | 190,625 |
| Resin costs | 150,000 |
| Membrane system OP | 80,000 |
| costs | |
| Chemicals | 120,000 |
| Water | 30,000 |
| Energy | 110,000 |
| Waste treatment | 25,000 |
| Cost of whey (.5 c/L) | 375,000 |
| Labor | 288,000 |
| Drying costs | 91,125 |
| Total | 1,469,750 |
| Investment | USD |
|---|---|
| 3* 500 L RFC columns | 675,000 |
| Tanks, pumps, piping | 200,000 |
| Automation and valves | 350,000 |
| Membrane systems | 300,000 |
| Total | 1,525,000 |
| Annual Gross | Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin, USD | Process A | Process B | Process C |
| Revenue | 2,773,750 | 3,171,000 | 4,585,920 |
| Production costs | 1,469,750 | 1,690,210 | 1,763,700 |
| Gross margin | 1,264,000 | 1,480,790 | 2,822,220 |
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