Otimização da rede logística de soro de leite nas mesorregiões Zona da Mata e Campo das Vertentes do Estado de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Whey produced by small to medium cheese makers in the state of Minas Gerais is currently being underutilised and carries an economic burden due to losses to the environment. The current study provides a diagnostic of whey utilisation in a selected cluster of 76 dairy companies located in Zona da Mata and Campo das Vertentes and economically assesses potential value addition scenarios for regional development by considering the potential whey uptake by two established drying plants with spare capacity. The decision making model indicated that the most economical scenario includes the installation of whey collection centers. With a minimum regional development investment of R$55,000,000.00, the model selects the Ponte Nova plant as the recipient of the cluster’s whey (mostly in pre-concentrated form) to produce partially demineralised whey powder 40%, with a return of investment of 2.9 years. Changes in transportation costs did not impact on the model output recommendations. This study demonstrated the economic viability for whey recovery into whey powder following the formation of a cluster of associated small to medium cheesemakers.