Instead of producing high-quality spirits, Cayuga Ingredients pivoted this spring to launch BOS Hand Sanitizer at a time when the product was flying off the shelves. The New York-based farming facility uses an innovative process that goes whey beyond simply making hand sanitizer in the middle of a pandemic, however.
After 10 years of research, Cayuga co-founder Joe Van Groll successfully created a sustainable way to use liquid milk byproducts from major cheese and yogurt manufacturers, which typically go unused, to produce clean whey ethanol. “We are the only bulk producer of whey ethanol in North America,” says the brand’s president, Eduard Zaydman. “Most of the world’s ethanol is produced with corn. Instead of using water like traditional grain ethanol distillation, we actually produce and recycle water.” Finding a productive use for this otherwise wasted byproduct is an exciting development.
“For every gallon of ethanol produced, we produce five gallons of water and one pound of animal feed,” says Zaydman. “Additionally, for every gallon of ethanol we create, we prevent one pound of carbon dioxide from being released into the environment.” Customers in the U.S. have been ordering the product by the gallon, and the company has donated to nonprofit organizations and struggling communities across the country.
