Whey · 7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_avoid	separately measurable whey recovery, conditioning, storage, cleaning, and treatment operations	Avoid allocation by subdividing metered processes and assigning directly attributable inputs, emissions, and wastes to whey operations.	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
allocation_system_expansion	explicitly expanded product systems	Use system expansion only when the additional co-product function and substituted product are explicitly modelled and empirically justified; report the expanded-system result rather than silently crediting whey.	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
allocation_physical_relation	inseparable shared dairy or treatment operations	When subdivision or justified system expansion is not possible, use a documented causal physical relationship relevant to the functions of whey and the other outputs; wet mass alone is not sufficient unless its functional relevance is demonstrated.	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
allocation_other_relation	multifunctional operations lacking a defensible physical relation	Use another documented relationship, such as route-specific economic value at the co-product production stage, only after explaining why subdivision, system expansion, and physical allocation were rejected; disclose prices, period, geography, factors, and sensitivity.	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
allocation_upstream_whey	shared coagulation, curd separation, and upstream dairy operations	Do not assign zero upstream burden to marketable whey by default. Link the reviewed upstream dataset and disclose whether whey entered as co-product, product, or waste under the actual route and destination.	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint; eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat
allocation_recovered_outputs	recovered cream, solids, biogas, reusable water, and other outputs	Classify an output as a co-product only when quantity, quality, further use, and destination are documented; otherwise record it as waste or an emission according to the actual handling route.	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat; eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_whey_batch_mass_and_composition	whey_receipt_and_recovery; liquid_whey_conditioning; storage_and_dispatch	whey feedstock, intermediates, product, co-products, and losses	batch, tank, laboratory, and dispatch records	batch/lot id; source process; species; sweet/acid status; timestamp; wet mass; total solids; protein/fat/lactose/ash when available; pH or acidity; temperature; treatment state; destination	calibrated tank, load cell, flow meter, weighbridge, and representative laboratory sampling	kg and declared composition units	each batch, transfer, or dispatch lot	representative continuous 12-month period or complete declared campaign	all included whey lines, tanks, and dispatch points	reconcile opening stock + inputs = outputs + closing stock + losses, then normalize conforming dispatch mass to 1 kg	calibration, sample chain of custody, laboratory method, batch reconciliation, and signed release record
cp_energy_and_utilities	whey_receipt_and_recovery; liquid_whey_conditioning; storage_and_dispatch	electricity, fuel, steam, heat, refrigeration, and other utilities	meter, invoice, and operating-hour records	meter id; start/end reading; fuel quantity; steam pressure/temperature or enthalpy; equipment hours/load; allocation driver; production mass	dedicated meter preferred; otherwise documented engineering allocation reconciled to facility totals	kWh, MJ, kg fuel, kg steam, or source unit	continuous or each billing period	same period as product output	all included whey equipment and shared utility systems	subtract unrelated loads, allocate documented shared loads, convert with recorded factors, and divide by conforming product kg	meter calibration, invoices, operating logs, conversion factors, and allocation reconciliation
cp_cleaning_water_and_materials	liquid_whey_conditioning; storage_and_dispatch	process water, CIP water, cleaning and disinfection products	water meter, CIP recipe, dosing, and purchase/issue records	CIP cycle id; water volume; rinse endpoint; chemical product and active concentration; dose; temperature; line/tank; recovered or discharged quantity	submeter and dosing controller preferred; otherwise validated tank volume and recipe record	kg or m3 water; kg product; active concentration	each cleaning cycle or daily	same period as product output	all included lines, tanks, and loading systems	assign cycles to equipment and product route, reconcile purchases, and normalize to conforming product kg	meter calibration, dosing calibration, CIP logs, conductivity/pH/turbidity endpoint, and purchase reconciliation
cp_packaging_and_dispatch	storage_and_dispatch	packaging and dispatched whey	bill of materials, packaging issue, count, loading, and dispatch records	packaging item/material; item mass; count; tare; gross/net product mass; bulk/packaged state; destination; lot id	calibrated scale, item-count reconciliation, and dispatch documentation	kg	each dispatch lot	same period as product output	all included dispatch modes	convert counts to mass, exclude reusable assets unless loss/replacement is attributable, and normalize to dispatched product kg	scale calibration, supplier specification, issue reconciliation, and dispatch record
cp_waste_effluent_and_emissions	whey_receipt_and_recovery; liquid_whey_conditioning; storage_and_dispatch; onsite_effluent_management	product loss, residues, wastewater, sludge, direct releases, and treatment outputs	waste transfer, flow-meter, sampling, laboratory, incident, and treatment records	stream id; source process; wet/dry mass; wastewater volume; sample time; concentration; destination; treatment route; recovery output; incident loss	calibrated scales/meters and representative sampling under documented analytical methods	kg, m3, mg/L, or pollutant-specific unit	each transfer and representative sampling event	same period as product output, covering operating and cleaning periods	all included lines and on-site treatment	calculate pollutant mass from flow and concentration, reconcile whey losses with batch balance, and normalize to conforming product kg	calibration, sampling plan, laboratory accreditation or QA, manifests, treatment logs, and mass reconciliation
cp_coproduct_and_allocation	liquid_whey_conditioning; onsite_effluent_management; shared upstream dairy operations	co-product identity and allocation	production, composition, sales, transfer, and allocation records	output id; amount; composition/function; destination; price and currency where used; price period/geography; physical relation; subdivision evidence; allocation factor; factor sum	collect process-specific records and document the allocation hierarchy decision	kg, composition units, currency/kg, or physical driver	each allocation period and material route change	same period as shared inventory and outputs	all multifunctional operations linked to the whey dataset	assign direct flows first, calculate reviewed factors for residual shared burdens, and require factors to sum to one within rounding tolerance	signed methodology decision, source records, price or physical-driver evidence, sensitivity result, and factor-sum check

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
normalize_reference_mass	all inventory rows	normalized amount = reporting-period amount / conforming dispatched wet whey kg	dispatched wet whey mass; row amount	amount per 1 kg reference whey
close_whey_mass_balance	recovery, conditioning, and storage	opening stock + wet whey inputs + incorporated materials = conforming whey + co-products + wastes/losses + closing stock; investigate unexplained difference and retain solids balance for concentrated routes	batch masses; stocks; solids; co-products; wastes	wet-mass and solids-balance closure	codex-cxs-289-1995-whey-powders; fao-2013-milk-dairy-human-nutrition
calculate_concentration_factor	concentrated liquid whey	concentration factor = feed wet mass / concentrate wet mass, cross-checked by feed and product solids mass after recorded losses	feed/product wet mass and solids fraction	concentration factor and removed-water balance
calculate_utility_intensity	energy and water	sum route-attributable metered use plus documented shared allocation, convert to the declared unit, and divide by conforming product kg	utility records; allocation driver; product mass	kWh, MJ, kg, or m3 per kg reference whey
calculate_pollutant_release	direct releases to water	pollutant kg = final-effluent volume x representative concentration x unit-conversion factor; use flow-weighted aggregation when multiple samples exist	flow meter; laboratory result; sampling coverage	pollutant kg per kg reference whey	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat
apply_allocation_hierarchy	shared multifunctional operations	assign direct flows by subdivision; otherwise apply reviewed system expansion or a causal physical relation; use another relation only with documented rejection of prior steps and sensitivity	direct measurements; functions; physical driver; market values; output amounts	allocated shared inventory and factor set	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_product_identity	reference whey and feedstock	Preserve source process, species, sweet/acid status, composition basis, treatment state, temperature, concentration, and bulk/packaged state for every included product lot.	batch specification, laboratory results, and dispatch record
dq_mass_and_stock	all material flows	Use calibrated mass or volume measurements, document density conversions, and reconcile stock, transfers, co-products, losses, and product at batch or reporting-period level.	calibration, inventory, batch, and reconciliation records
dq_composition	whey, co-products, and concentrated routes	Use representative samples and documented methods for total solids or dry matter, pH or acidity, and material composition fields used in identity, mass balance, or allocation.	sampling plan, chain of custody, method, laboratory QA, and results
dq_temporal_coverage	foreground activity	Use a representative continuous 12-month period or a complete declared campaign and include cleaning, start-up, shutdown, rejects, and abnormal events; justify exclusions.	production calendar, meter coverage, batch list, and incident log
dq_completeness	process map and inventory	Cover every required process and every conditional process that occurred; include utilities, cleaning, packaging, product losses, wastewater, direct emissions, and off-site treatment links when material.	process-flow diagram, inclusion checklist, ledger reconciliation, and linked datasets
dq_allocation	shared dairy and treatment operations	Retain direct-assignment evidence, hierarchy decision, driver data, allocation factors summing to one, and sensitivity where another relation such as economic value is used.	allocation workbook, source data, approval record, and sensitivity analysis
dq_uuid_and_source_traceability	database identities and external rules	Use reviewed Tiangong UUIDs without dataset versions and retain stable external source ids for non-default boundary, allocation, process, and validation rules.	identity readback record, source register, and PCR conformance review

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validate_identity_and_scope	reference product	Require the Whey UUID, Product flow type, CPC 3.0 code 22130, sweet/acid and source-process identity, wet-product state, composition basis, treatment, temperature, geography, and plant gate; reject powder and derived-ingredient products.	codex-cxs-289-1995-whey-powders; fao-2013-milk-dairy-human-nutrition
validate_reference_support	quantitative reference	Require 1 kg wet whey, Mass UUID 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66, Units of mass UUID 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66, and reference unit kg.
validate_process_coverage	foreground process map	Require recovery/receipt and storage/dispatch; require conditioning and on-site effluent management when those operations occurred; prohibit silent inclusion of drying or downstream powder manufacture.	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat; us-epa-ap42-9-6-1-cheese
validate_mass_and_solids_balance	whey feedstock, product, co-products, stocks, and losses	Require wet-mass closure and, for concentrated routes, solids closure; investigate unexplained differences and prohibit double-counting the same whey as product and wastewater.	codex-cxs-289-1995-whey-powders; fao-2013-milk-dairy-human-nutrition
validate_acid_whey_timing	acid whey route	Require separation-to-conditioning time, holding conditions, and acidity or pH records sufficient to identify material change during storage.	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat
validate_utilities_and_cleaning	electricity, steam, hot water, natural gas, diesel, LPG, water, refrigerants, and cleaning substances	Require source records, unit conversions, allocation of shared services, temporal alignment, and cleaning-cycle coverage for each separately named exchange; no PCR default or numeric range substitutes for foreground data.	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat; eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
validate_atomic_inventory_flows	all foreground exchanges	Require one card per actual stage-specific electricity exchange, thermal carrier, fuel, refrigerant species, water supply, processing aid, cleaning or disinfection substance, packaging material, product, co-product, waste stream, and elementary emission; reject collection labels and require a new specific card for any actual exchange not enumerated here.	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat; eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
validate_allocation	multifunctional processes	Require the allocation hierarchy decision, direct assignments, selected driver, factors summing to one, source period/geography, and sensitivity where an economic or other fallback relation is used; reject undocumented zero-burden whey.	eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint
validate_wastewater_and_emissions	wastes and direct releases	Require stream amount, destination, treatment link, representative sampling, calculation method, and exact elementary-flow identity before publication; do not accept pollutant concentrations without corresponding flow.	eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	unit_process foreground dataset for fluid whey recovery, conditioning, storage, and dispatch
downstream_use	secondary_dataset; background_dataset
allowed_use	fluid whey datasets with matching sweet/acid status, source dairy process and species, solids/composition basis, treatment and concentration state, temperature, packaging form, geography, time period, plant gate, and allocation method
excluded_use	whey or acid whey powder; dry whey ingredients; whey protein concentrate or isolate sold dry; lactose; whey permeate powder; whey cheese; formulated beverages; routes with incompatible product state or undisclosed upstream allocation
required_metadata	reference flow and UUIDs; CPC reference; source dairy process and species; sweet/acid status; wet mass and composition basis; pH/acidity; treatment and concentration state; temperature; bulk/packaged state; included processes; geography; period; allocation method; linked upstream and treatment datasets
required_quality_disclosure	meter and laboratory coverage; mass and solids balance; cleaning/start-up/shutdown coverage; allocation factors and sensitivity; unresolved quantitative evidence for range-free important flows; unresolved non-reference UUIDs; atomic waste and emission completeness; data quality assessment
update_trigger	material change in source dairy route, product identity, composition or concentration, processing technology, energy or water system, cleaning regime, allocation method or prices, treatment route, regulation, source evidence, geography, or data age

11. Data Sources

Source id	Type	Reference	Used for
codex-cxs-289-1995-whey-powders	standard	Codex Alimentarius, CXS 289-1995, Standard for Whey Powders, https://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/184/CXS_289e.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-10)	authoritative definition of whey and acid whey as fluid milk products separated from curd; distinction between fluid whey and powders
fao-2013-milk-dairy-human-nutrition	official_guidance	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Milk and dairy products in human nutrition, 2013, https://www.fao.org/4/i3396e/i3396e.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-10)	sweet/acid whey identity, source routes, uses, and product-category exclusions
eu-2019-2031-fdm-bat	standard	Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/2031 establishing BAT conclusions for the food, drink and milk industries, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2019/2031/oj (retrieved 2026-08-10)	prompt acid-whey processing, whey recovery routes, cleaning-in-place, water/material and energy management, low-GWP refrigerant options, wastewater monitoring parameters, and conditional treatment and recovery operations
us-epa-ap42-9-6-1-cheese	official_guidance	United States Environmental Protection Agency, AP-42 Section 9.6.1 Natural and Processed Cheese, Supplement C, August 1997, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/documents/c9s06-1.pdf (retrieved 2026-08-10)	whey separation and handling process decomposition and boundary between cheese manufacture, whey recovery, and drying
eu-2021-2279-environmental-footprint	standard	Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reco/2021/2279/oj (retrieved 2026-08-10)	complete foreground inventory of raw materials, energy, products, wastes, and emissions, plus multifunctionality hierarchy, subdivision, system expansion, physical allocation, and documented fallback relationships