The Greek Yogurt Industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the US. Almost every household has at least one Greek Yogurt product and we still cannot get enough. Ever tried Greek Yogurt as a replacement for sour cream? Or what about the millions of Greek Yogurt baking recipes out there?
As the Greek Yogurt industry grows bigger and bigger, an important question we must consider is the environmental impact it is having. About 1 gallon of milk will make 48 ounces of Greek Yogurt- that is a 4/1 ratio according to The Modern Farmer. The rest is a byproduct of the curdling process known as acid whey. Acid whey is a chemical compound that is illegal to dump since it takes the oxygen out of water supplies, thus killing fish and other aquatic species. Yogurt companies give some of the acid whey back to farmers to mix with cattle feed and fertilizer. Unfortunately, cattle can only have so much mixed in with their feed before it causes digestive issues. Greek Yogurt's acid whey is also much higher in calcium and acid compared to the sweet whey from cheeses and other dairy products. According to Dr. Karen Smith of the Wisconsin Center of Dairy Research, this mixture is much harder to process and reduces shelf life.
For now, acid whey is being collected and stored by the Greek Yogurt production companies such as Fage and Chobani until a solution can be found. Scientists are currently looking into ways to use this acid whey for energy, mixing it into certain food products such as baby formula, or finding a way to extract the sugar from it. Until then, it looks like we are going to have a growing collection of this culture.