High purity alpha lactalbumin and methods of making

A method of making a powdered dairy composition, the method comprising:

• providing a whey protein mixture;
• adding an alkaline solution to the whey protein mixture to make an alkaline whey protein mixture, wherein a portion of ß-lactoglobulin in the alkaline whey protein mixture forms ß-LG aggregates, further wherein the alkaline whey protein mixture lacks a protease enzyme that selectively hydrolyzes the ß-lactoglobulin, and wherein the alkaline whey protein mixture has a temperature of 10° C. or less during the aggregation of the ß-LG aggregates;
• filtering the alkaline whey protein mixture into (i) a ß-LG aggregate composition and (ii) an α-LA enriched composition;
• and
• drying a final α-lactalbumin enriched composition sourced from the α-LA enriched composition into the powdered dairy composition, wherein the powdered dairy composition comprises at least 70 wt. % α-lactalbumin on a protein basis.