Economic assessment of single-cell protein production for cheese whey valorization by purple phototrophic bacteria
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for approximately 11% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and generating substantial amounts of food waste. Cheese whey (CW), a significant by-product of the dairy industry, offers a promising opportunity for resource valorization, contributing to the mitigation of agri-food system impacts and the development of circular value chains capable of replacing unsustainable products. This study assesses the economic feasibility of converting CW into single-cell protein (SCP) through an integrated process combining acidogenic fermentation and cultivation of purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB). Experimental and modelling results show a 75% conversion efficiency during acidogenic fermentation and stable PPB biomass production on fermented CW. This valorization pathway could potentially reduce production costs to as low as €5 per kilogram of biomass, achieving a protein productivity per hectare four times higher than that of soybean meal.
Authors: Remelli, Andrea, Amini, Ali, Mojarad, Valiallah, Achkar, Mayline, TUROLLA, ANDREA
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7103147660
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