What is Whey Protein Hydrolysate
[pronounced: hi-drawl-a-sate | hī-ˈdrä-lə-ˌsāt]
Whey protein hydrolysate is a mixture of partially digested whey proteins that are made by:
Separating the whey protein from the other nutrients found cow’s milk; and
Breaking down the whey protein into smaller units, called peptides.
Partially digested, or hydrolyzed, proteins are often used in solution infant formulas to address concerns of fussiness, crying, and gas. While they may be used for fussiness, partially hydrolyzed proteins are not appropriate for treatment of cow milk protein allergy, which requires extensively hydrolyzed proteins or an amino acids only. To learn more about how fluid whey is turned to whey protein hydrolysate, keep reading or jump down the end of this article.
Safety and Regulations
The US FDA recognizes whey protein hydrolysate as safe because it is made from whey powder, a product already recognized as safe. The European Food Safety Authority updated their safety guidance on protein hydrolysates in 2017 and also found this ingredient to be safe.
Labeling laws are quite different between Europe and the United States as explained in this article!
Hypoallergenic European-made infant formulas contain partially hydrolyzed proteins. They are made for who are babies at-risk for allergy because they have least one parent or sibling has asthma, hay fever or atopic dermatitis.
Hypoallergenic infant formulas on the US market usually contain extensively hydrolyzed proteins. They are made for infants with existing symptoms of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). Some hypoallergenic formulas are made only with amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Dietary Considerations
Whey protein hydrolysate is not appropriate for vegans since it is derived from fluid milk. Some forms of whey hydrolysate are created using an enzyme derived from pigs. These may also not be acceptable to some vegetarians. Use of pigs also means that protein hydrolysate formulas will not be labels as OU-D or halal.
How is Whey Protein Hydrolysate Made?
To keep this explanation straightforward, we’ll consider the two primary processes used to make whey protein hydrolysate separately.
Separate Protein from Other Nutrients in Fluid Milk
Like whey protein concentrate and isolate, whey protein must be separated from the other nutrients found cow’s milk. Manufacturers usually begin with fluid whey. While similarly named, fluid whey is not same as whey protein. Fluid whey is a by-product of cheesemaking that, in addition to whey protein, also contains lactose, fat, minerals, and water. Next, the lactose, fat, and water are separated from the fluid whey by physical methods like filtration. Minerals, like calcium also may be removed using enzymes. After lactose, fat, and minerals are removed, only whey protein and water remain.
Break the Whey Protein into Smaller Pieces by Hydrolysis
Proteins are long chains of amino acids that are strung together like beads on a string. Protein digestion begins when enzymes in the GI tract break the long amino acid chain down into shorter chains, which are called peptides. Peptides can have as few as two amino acids and as many as twenty amino acids. Peptides are often referred to as partially digested proteins, which is accurate. However, they also have their own biological effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, immune, and digestive systems.
Hydrolysis is a name for the biochemical process that breaks long amino acid chains down to shorter peptide chains. The term hydrolysis comes from the role that water (hydro in Greek) plays in breaking the bonds between the amino acids. Hydrolysis can happen with acid, salt, heat, enzymes, or a combination of these. Have you ever added lemon juice (an acid) to whole milk to make a buttermilk substitute? You have caused lemon juice to begin to hydrolyze milk! The lemon juice breaks down some of the protein, creating peptides that make the milk look richer. Hydrolysate is a noun indicating that a substance was produced by hydrolysis.