Challenge
Billions of pounds of liquid whey permeate (a dairy by-product) were being land spread every year across the US. For individual cheese manufacturers, this was a significant expense, and they were not making use of valuable nutrients in the material. In addition, the practice was not environmentally sustainable. Depending on geography or time of year, land spreading was not feasible and legal restrictions increased cost of disposal.
Solution
GFS and parent company IIC conducted the first animal research trials on how to use this permeate in animal diets. Our company conducted R&D on how to process the material successfully in a manufacturing setting. We made the first of its kind capital investment in a factory to process the material and successfully commercialized the use of the material by developing markets in 26 countries. We even sent our scientists to these countries to conduct seminars to teach people how to use the product in animal diets.
Results
Today, everywhere in the US, all of this raw material is being processed for use in animal feed. We converted a waste stream into a value-added commercial product that is an ongoing revenue stream for these companies. The product also helps the cheese companies be better stewards of the land by making maximum use of by-product and helping feed animals.
