Utilization of whey in dairy and food industry production profitability.

Considering the fact that milk is one of the strategic products for the economy of each country, there is a tendency to provide the population with sufficient quantities through the development of primary milk production. According to the conducted analysis, out of 1.5 billion liters of milk per year, approximately half, about 50%, is purchased by the dairy processing industry. Milk production and processing in Serbia is mainly focused on products that do not require a lot of time nor complex or lengthy technological processes of production. Such products have a short shelf life, but are most often consumed on the market. Fermented dairy products are the most important group of products in the market structure of domestic supply and demand. These products are the most popular commercial industrial products because they contain probiotic microorganisms that have a beneficial effect on the human digestive system. Since whey is a by-product of cheese and casein production, it is one of the underutilized by-products of the dairy industry in Serbia. Therefore, the first part of this paper analyses the production of cow’s milk and dairy products intended for the market in the period 2013-2015 with special emphasis on fermented milk products. The second part focuses on the utilization of whey, as one of the more effective solutions in the production of functional fermented whey-based beverages in the food industry, which mainly uses whey concentrate or whey powder.