Whey permeate is a homogeneous, free-flowing powder obtained from the ultrafiltration of fresh liquid whey resulting from natural cheese production. White to light cream to cream in color, whey permeate has a neutral odor and slightly-sweet dairy flavor. Whey permeate can be used in a variety of processed foods and bakery applications to impart better browning characteristics to the finished product and extend shelf life. Uses include bakery, confectionary, chocolates, caramels, cookie fillings, hot chocolate beverages, spice blends (as carrier) as a replacer for sweet whey in short shelf life ice cream.

Lactose is a staple component in the best piglet formulas for one simple reason:  Piglets thrive on lactose.  The benefits of lactose on growth performance during the post-weaning period are well documented.  It has long been known that pigs younger than eight to ten weeks of age cannot utilize starch effectively.  Weaning stress accompanied by low feed intake prolong maturation of the digestive system, and for this reason, simple sugars (such as lactose), and cooked cereals, are more digestible than raw starch.  Piglets benefit from lactose until their digestive system is fully capable of utilizing raw starch.  Diets based on cereals and vegetable protein sources can support greater growth performance when supplemented with dried whey.  Inclusion of ten to twenty percent dried whey in simple diets (dried distillers grains, soybean meal, and oats) has consistently improved growth performance by at least fifteen percent in pigs weaned at three weeks of age.

Whey powder plus is a dried, concentrated blend of protein and milk fat skimmed from whey. Typically the protein content of whey powder plus is 65%, and the fat content is 15%. Whey powder plus has a relatively low fat content, and a slightly salty, tangy taste redolent of its cheese-making foundation. Often used in manfacturing ice cream, frozen yoghurt, and low-fat yoghurt, whey powder plus imparts flavor benefits as well as nutritional benefits to food products.

When milk coagulates during the cheesemaking process, the valuable liquid left behind contains everything that is soluble in milk. Whey is an approximately 5% solution of lactose in water, with minerals and protein. Protein can be either complete or incomplete, depending on the number of amino acids in their protein chain. A complete protein, according to MedlinePlus, is one whose protein chain contains all available amino acids. Whey protein is one example of a complete protein. Lactalbumin, technically called alpha-lactalbumin, is an important component of this protein. Whey protein concentrates typically have low fat content, and they range from 29% to 89% protein by weight.

Similar to whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates are further processed to remove fat and lactose. Whey protein isolates are at least 90% protein by weight. They are also often lower in bioactivated compounds as well, and are usually used to increase the protein content of foods and beverages. Bodybuilders and athletes routinely use whey protein isolates to galvanize muscle growth and recovery after workouts.

Milk protein concentrates cover a wide range of milk products that contain 40% to 90% milk protein by weight. The United States Department of Agriculture defines milk protein concentrate as "any complete milk protein (casein plus lactalbumin) concentrate that is forty percent or more protein by weight." Applications of milk protein concentrates include, but are not limited to, nutritional beverages, energy and protein bars, infant formulas, frozen desserts, and sweet confections.