Abstract: In a method for producing a whey protein hydrolysate, a whey substrate, selected from the group consisting of whey, commercially available whey powder, whey protein isolate, whey protein preparations, and ?-Lactalbumin obtained from whey, is enzymatically hydrolyzing at least with alcalase and trypsin as enzymes at a ratio of g enzymes/g whey substrate between 1:10 and 1:10,000 and at a temperature of between 30° C. and 70° C. within an incubation period of between 18 hours and 30 hours, until a hydrolysis degree of more than 50% of the protein of the whey substrate have a molecular weight of less than 4 kDa. The enzymes are inactivated by heating the enzymes to a temperature of 80° C. to 100° C. after the desired hydrolysis degree has been reached.

Abstract: The invention relates to a whey protein hydrolysate, in particular a hydrolysate consisting of whey protein enriched with ?-lactalbumin and ?-lactalbumin, and the use thereof for producing pharmaceuticals, anti-hypertensive agents, food supplements, foodstuffs and animal feed, and to pharmaceuticals, anti-hypertensive agents, food supplements, foodstuffs and animal feed produced in this manner. The whey protein hydrolysate according to the invention, which has an ACE inhibiting and anti-hypertensive action, contains a physiologically active quantity of at least one peptide containing tryptophan, preferably at least one of the bio-active dipeptides Ile-Trp and Trp-Leu, and can be obtained by the extensive hydrolysis of whey protein isolates or of pure ?-lactalbumin.