Evaluation of Waste of the Cheese Industry for the Production of Aroma of Roses (Phenylethyl Alcohol)

ABSTRACT The whey is a by-product obtained during the manufacture of cheese. It includes three types of whey; sweet (SW), acid (AW) and curd (CW). These residues are rich in lactose and proteins. Practically, there are no studies on the use of the three types of whey, as a substrate of micro-organisms for the production of phenylethyl alcohol (PEA). We assessed the production of PEA by Kluyveromyces marxianus using SW, AW and CW as substrate. Whey pH was adjusted to 4.8, pasteurized at 63 °C/30 min and inoculated with K. marxianus (1 × 10 6 CFU mL −1 ). The inoculated whey was embedded in agitation (180 rpm) at 30 °C for 96 h. The identification and quantification of PEA was performed by gas chromatography. In addition, it was determined the percentage of (α–β) lactose by molecular structure with nuclear magnetic resonance. K. marxianus was capable of producing PEA in the three types of whey (SW, AW and CV) in maximum concentrations of 0.96, 0.70, and 0.47 g L −1 , respectively. For SW (maximum concentration of PEA), it was found a concentration of β-lactose 82.35 %. Produced by the cheese industry, whey could be used as an alternative for the production of PEA by K.marxianus .