Short communication: utilization of sheep's milk cheese whey in the manufacture of an alkylphenol flavor concentrate

The recovery of species-related conjugated sheep-like flavored alkylphenols from Manchego-type cheese whey by ultrafiltration was investigated. Concentrations of conjugated alkylphenols were similar in the various fractions of whey permeate collected during ultrafiltration, and this was interpreted as a reflection of their high water solubility. About 49 and 62% of conjugated 3- and 4-ethylphenols and p- and m-cresols in sheep's milk cheese whey, respectively, were recovered in the permeate after ultrafiltration with a volume concentration factor of 5.4. Cheese whey retentate correspondingly contained 38 and 28% of conjugated 3- and 4-ethylphenols and p- and m-cresols from the original whey, respectively. Permeate fractions from sheep's milk cheese whey were combined, concentrated by vacuum evaporation, and lactose was partially removed by crystallization and filtration to obtain an aqueous sheep-like flavor precursor concentrate.