Scientists See a New Whey To Finish Floors

Burlington, VT, January 18, 2008--You wouldn't imagine that cheesemakers and floor contractors would have much in common, but some thoughtful food scientists have changed all that.

A team at the University of Burlington in Vermont has developed a method of using whey, a waste product from cheese, as a floor covering. The whey protein is apparently a perfect binding agent, which means that it can replace the highly toxic solvents usually used in wood floor coverings.

Andrew Meyer, who runs Vermont Natural Coatings, the company that has been selling this floor covering for just under a year, has had good feedback from his customers.

"I've had floor contractors, who have been using one particular product for many years, try this out, and they've said that when they finish the day now they don't have the usual headache, or the usual agitation. There's much less off-gassing with this product, you don't have to move out if you want to finish your floors."