The interest in whey and whey preparations has considerably increased in recent years. Whey and whey preparations are the so-called “forgotten treasure” and, because of their unique properties, they have been “rediscovered” and have been increasingly frequently and successfully used by various production plants in the food industry. They have also been eagerly purchased by consumers who are aware of the role of whey preparations in adequate human nutrition. For many years, there has been a tendency in the food processing industry to use substitutes of ingredients in recipes of many products. This situation can be observed in the case of foods with reduced fat and sugar, or products for lacto-ovo-vegetarians. Whey - and more specifically, its preparations - can also be used as a substitute. According to many literature sources, its use can have a positive impact not only on the consumers’ health but also on the finances of many companies, by reducing the costs of raw materials, and thus production costs. This review paper presents selected uses of whey and whey preparations in the food industry. The uses of whey discussed include: meat and meat products, reduced-fat products, yoghurts and ice creams, cheeses, bakery products, confectionery and pastry products, infant formulas, and whey drinks

In recent years, traditional high‐temperature food processing is continuously being replaced by nonthermal processes. Nonthermal processes have a positive effect on food quality, including color and maintaining natural food pigments. Thus, this article describes the influence of nonthermal, new, and traditional treatments on natural food pigments and color changes in plant materials. Characteristics of natural pigments, such as anthocyanins, betalains, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and so forth available in the plant tissue, are shortly presented. Also, the characteristics and mechanism of nonthermal processes such as pulsed electric field, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed light, cold plasma, supercritical fluid extraction, and lactic acid fermentation are described. Furthermore, the disadvantages of these processes are mentioned. Each treatment is evaluated in terms of its effects on all types of natural food pigments, and the possible applications are discussed. Analysis of the latest literature showed that the use of nonthermal technologies resulted in better preservation of pigments contained in the plant tissue and improved yield of extraction. However, it is important to select the appropriate processing parameters and to optimize this process in relation to a specific type of raw material.

Chokeberry juice is used in the food industry because of its antioxidant activity as well as anti-diabetes, anti-mutagenic, bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory and anti-virus properties. However in a liquid form its active ingredients can be unstable, so conversion into powder form is required. To improve the quality of the final product and extend information about the properties of chokeberry powder the aim of the study was to examine the relationship of inlet air temperature (160 °C, 200 °C) and carrier type maltodextrin (MD) 10DE and 15.6DE, arabic gum (AG) and their mixtures (AG:MD10 and AG:MD15—1:1, 1:3, 3:1) with the amounts of anthocyanins and polyphenols and selected physical properties of powders obtained after spray drying. Moreover stability of anthocyanin was tested after storage Obtained powders were characterized by low water activity (< 0.26), high dry matter content (97–99%) and good hygroscopic properties. Saccharification level of maltodextrin had no impact on the amount of bioactive components enclosed inside the capsules. Moreover, the mixtures of carriers, AG:MD appeared to have a large potential to ensure a high quality of chokeberry powder with high content of anthocyanin (1694–2028 mg/100 g) and polyphenols (about 3000 mg/100 g d.m.). Storage temperature mostly has no statistically significant influence on content of active ingredients, but an increase in colour coefficents was observed. The contents of anthocyanins and polyphenols were higher in powders stored at 4 °C than at 25 °C.