The potential use of dairy by-products for the production of nonfood biomaterials

The disposal of large volume protein-containing wastes is becoming increasingly challenging in an environmentally driven society. Large volumes of casein-containing milk wastes are generated from the cleaning of dairy processing facilities and the processing of milk. Caseins are the major protein-containing components of bovine milk, comprising 80% of the total protein. Potential uses of either crude or purified caseins include the production of plastics, adhesives, gels, composites, and films. This report aims to provide a comprehensive review of the potential nonfood uses of casein protein-containing waste material.