KJ Burrington, ADPI Vice President of Technical Development, and Stephanie Clark, PhD, Manager of Academic Engagement, are co-authors of a published invited review in the Journal of Dairy Science in September 2026. for their major contribution to this important work, and of ADPI’s continued collaboration with Dairy Management Inc. and other dairy industry experts to advance research, innovation, and new opportunities for dairy ingredients.
ABSTRACT
As high-volume, low-cost coproducts of processing, dairy permeates have drawn increasing attention due to utilization challenges and potential for value creation. Rich in lactose, minerals, and residual nutrients, permeates support diverse conversion pathways across food, bioactives, fuel, chemicals, and materials applications. This review synthesizes recent advances in technologies that convert permeates into value-added ingredients and industrial products, with emphasis on scalability, economic viability, and compatibility with existing dairy infrastructure to support commercial relevance. Pathway feasibility depends on the alignment of conversion efficiency, downstream recovery requirements, and process integration with existing manufacturing systems. By consolidating findings from established and emerging applications, this review highlights commercial progress while identifying key technical and economic constraints that influence technology readiness and value return. These insights aim to guide continued research, scale-up validation, and strategic innovation in value-added utilization of dairy permeate.