Abstract: A composition for use as a processing aid in the concentration of whole cheese whey and in the recovery of lactose from cheese whey by a separation process followed by a concentrating process via reverse osmosis filtration or evaporation, wherein, in one embodiment, the composition includes a sodium hexametaphosphate having phosphate chain lengths of 12 to 28 in combination with tetrasodium or tetrapotassium pyrophosphate. In another embodiment, a blend of sodium hexametaphosphate is employed having a phosphate chain lengths of 12 to 14 in one instance and 21 to 28 in another instance. The composition results in increased yields of lactose and an easily removable scale from processing equipment-mainly heat transfer equipment. A method of employing the processing aid composition is also presented.