Dairy is one of the main sectors of the agri-food industry, as it supplies nutrient-rich food products, including liquid and powdered milk, cheese, butter, and yoghurt, as well as raw materials for other industrial fields. Environmentally friendly and energy-saving technologies are increasingly adopted within the production processes of the dairy industry to optimize the use of natural resources, reduce environmental impacts, and then improve process sustainability. In particular, membrane-based separation technologies can be widely applied to the dairy sector as they provide effective and economical solutions to environmental problems related to water and energy use. Utilizing it allows for (1) prolonging milk shelf life without exposure to heat treatment; (2) standardizing the main components of milk to customize new products; (3) increasing milk output and quality; and (4) separating, fractionating, and purifying milk components. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.