Milk Powder: The Complete FAQ Guide in 2024

1.What Is Milk Powder?

This is just as the name indicates formed after pasteurization and drying excess water. You can call it dry milk or dried milk. There are various kinds of milk powders available in markets such as skim milk, whole milk (full fat), and non-dairy-based milk.

Milk powder is used in manufacturing bakery goods, infant formula, and everyone’s favorite chocolates. It has a longer expiry period and is especially useful for people living in remote areas.

2.How Milk Powder Originated From?

Milk powder is acquired from various farm animals such as goats, sheep, cows, and buffalos. The milk powder acquired from goats and sheep is significantly more beneficial and nourishing than cow milk powder.

Goat milk powders have small fat molecules and thus are easily digested by humans. It also has more quantities of vitamins and minerals. Milk powders obtained from cow milk have a fairly low cost but it less nutritional value.

3.What are the Main Ingredients of Milk Powder?

Milk powders have a lot of nutritional content. It has about

• 34-35% proteins (casein or whey)
• Fats
• Sugar (lactose)
• Vitamin components of these powders include A, D, E, K, and folic acid.
• They also contain magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, and potassium.

While processing milk powders, manufacturers adopt special procedures so that milk powder does not lose its nutritional content.

4.What Does Milk Powder Taste Like?

Although milk powder is without water and it should have a milky taste, milk powder is tasteless because of evaporation. For boosting its flavor, it is recommended to use reconstituted milk with fresh milk or vanilla extract and even coffee cream.

5.Is Milk Powder Healthy?

The answer is yes! It has health benefits almost the same as that fresh milk.  It is a good source of calcium which keeps the muscles and bones strong. It prevents bone deterioration and facilities cell repair.

Milk powder is a good source of potassium that regulates blood pressure.  These powders are packed with proteins that boost energy. It also increases the efficiency of immune systems.

Additionally, this powder is a good substitute for regular milk for lactose-intolerant people. The introduction of low-lactose milk powder has been quite a hit among these individuals.

6.Milk Powder: Is It A Viable Alternative To Regular Milk?

Milk powder is nutritionally equivalent to regular milk and is a viable alternative to the latter. It is wallet-friendly and is available at half rates than regular milk.

It can be used as a medium for preserving milk on long trips and camping. Milk powder has the same and in some cases more nutritional supplements than its regular counterpart.

It is a healthy option than regular milk since the latter can be contaminated by bacteria and other microbes. But because milk powder is free of water, it does not favor the growth of microorganisms.

7.What Will You Get From Milk Powder?

Wondering whether milk powder offers you as adequate nutrition as fresh milk? then say thanks for it! Read on to know:

• Milk powder provides an optimum concentration of protein,  vitamins A, D, and calcium with a far longer shelf life than fresh milk.
• Milk powder is a good source of energy that you can add to your food to attain the maximum source of energy, especially for people with certain health conditions such as athletes, old age, pregnant, etc.
• Milk powder has much more concentrated nutrients as compared to fresh milk because fresh milk has a 3% of moisture level after spray drying hence carrying the same nutrition.

8.How To Use Milk Powder?How To Make Milk From Milk Powder?

If you want to reconstitute the milk powder there is a simple way to do this. Pour the water into the milk powder. Thoroughly and gently mix them and place this mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

The flavor and constituency of reconstituted milk depend upon the ratio of milk powder and water.

The typical ratio is one part milk and two part water. If you want your milk to be thicker simply add more milk powder but if you prefer a thin constituency then milk increases the content of water.

9.Are There Any Possible Side Effects Of Milk Powder?

Even if, milk powder is used in a variety of recipes and is exceedingly nutritious and wholesome with quite a long expiration time, it has a few side effects.

Milk powder contains cholesterol which is oxidized during the heat treatment of milk. This oxidized cholesterol irritates blood vessels and form plaque which is the start of heart disorders.

Additionally, because of the presence of sub-standard preservatives milk powder does not mix correctly causing the formation of lumpy particles that are difficult to digest and cause gut irritation.

10.What Are The Types Of Milk Powder?

There are wide varieties of milk powder depending on its fat and protein content. You can select either one based on your preferred diet choice.

Non-Fat Dry Milk

This form of milk powder has little water content and almost no fat component. It does not have a standard protein level. This is a good source of calcium and is used in various bakery products.

Skimmed Milk

It has 5 % or less moisture by weight and less than 1.5% fat content. Skimmed milk has at least 34% protein content.

This milk powder is the least soluble type of milk and is employed in dessert recipes.

Whole Milk

It is formed from the evaporation of water from homogenized liquid milk. Whole milk powder has about 26 to 40% fats and no greater than 5% moisture content.

It is the best source of nutrition and is used in preparing soups, sauces, confectionaries, and mixes.

Dry Buttermilk

It is manufactured from the dehydration of buttermilk. The latter is a liquid usually left after the removal of butter from the cream.  It has higher fat molecules than skimmed milk and is employed as an emulsifier in ice creams and dressings.

11.How Is Milk Powder Produced?

Preparing and processing milk powder is a complex process and can be done by adopting various approaches for instance,

Preheating

At preheating stage, the milk powder is warmed to about 5 and 120°C for inactivating enzymes and providing heat stability to milk proteins.

Spray Drying

It is one of the most routinely used methods for the production of milk powder. A spray dryer nozzle is used for the atomization of liquid milk. The water is evaporated from droplets using hot air.

Water vapors are removed by vacuum while dry fine particles of milk powder are filtered using a separator.

Drum Drying

In this method, milk powder is produced using drum rollers. The liquid milk is dried at a low temperature by rotation of the drum. The drum is steam-heated and yields dried products. The water content evaporates and dried milk is milled into powder.

Freeze Drying

It is a method in which liquid is first frozen and then converted directly into a gas below the melting point of water. Water vapors are removed by changing them into ice using low pressure.

Freeze drying is not a popular method for generating milk powder as it consumes a lot of energy.

12.How To Make Milk Powder At Home From Fresh Milk?

Wondering how milk powder is prepared from fresh milk? You can do it also! The process of making milk powder is interesting and many of you would be familiar with it. On an industrial scale, it may require various processes and high machinery. But it is possible at home, How? Please the follow super-easy steps below:

STEP 1: MATERIAL

Gather all essentials you need to have for the preparation of milk powder at home. They are not too expensive in fact you find them in the kitchen.

• A dehydrator
• A dehydrator liner tray
• A deep pan
• Food processor
• Thermometer

STEP 2: DEHYDRATION

Boiling: The purpose of this step is to free milk powder from microbes and minimize the chances of contamination.

For this pour milk into a deep saucepan and make it warm then start heating it to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it boils you can confirm it with the help of a thermometer.

Dehydration: Once the milk is boiled now it is best, to begin with, the actual procedure.

• You can first insert a dehydrator liner tray into the dehydrator and add the boiled milk.
• Now set the temperature to 130 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to twelve hours to attain perfect dehydration. After the specified time, milk will be turned into a fluffy and creamy texture.
• Now remove it from the dehydrator and place the mixture in a food processor for blending. Once properly blend, put them into proper storage jars. Place it in a cool and dry area for extended shelf life.

13.How To Store Milk Powder?

Milk powder requires sensitive storage for maximum potency. An attached label on the packaging indicates that they should be consumed within two years of the manufacturing date. According to high authorities such as USDA suggests milk powders are stable consumables and last long if their container does not get damaged or broken.

Type of Storage

After production, there comes the time for filling and packaging. Although milk powder has more stability than fresh milk, it is necessary to protect it from humidity, heat, oxygen, and light. This is achieved by using stick powder filling equipment and pouch packaging machines.

Place the milk powder in the fridge once you have broken its seal. It should be placed in an airtight plastic or metallic jar so it does not absorb water vapors. Furthermore, it should be placed in an opaque container that does not catch the sunlight.

Types of Milk powder and Storage Period

Different types of milk powder have different storage periods. You can store skim milk powder in the refrigerator for 3 months and whole milk powder survives a few weeks in the fridge without festering. The good news is that milk powder can be stored in an airtight zip-lock bag for 3 years.

14.Major Differences

Milk Powder Vs Malted Milk Powder

People generally get confused about these two products thinking they are the same. But the reality is that milk powder and malted milk powders are quite distinct from one another.

Ingredients

They have a dissimilar set of ingredients. Milk powder has its roots in fresh milk while malted milk powder is created by dehydrating a mixture of wheat, malted barley, milk, salt as well as sodium bicarbonate.

Appearance

Furthermore, milk powder has white in color while the latter usually has a yellowish hue-like appearance.

Both Forms as Substitute

You can use milk powder in place of malted milk powder only if you add sugar or sweetener to it because milk powder has a plain and bland taste. However, malted milk powder is not used instead of milk powder since it has more ingredients and a sweet flavor.

Milk Powder Vs Evaporated Milk

Both these products are formed by the same process but the difference lies in their water content.

Processing

Milk powder is produced by fully dehydrating milk while evaporated milk is generated by the evaporation of about 60% moisture content.

Physical State

Secondly, milk powder is in solid state while latter is liquid.

Flavor

Evaporated milk has caramel-like taste since it is heated slowly resulting in caramelization of sugars. Milk powder has bland taste profile.

Both Types as Alternates

Evaporated milk is not a substitute for milk powder, yet milk powder mixed with water in 1:1 ratio can be used instead of evaporated milk.

Milk Powder Vs Fresh Milk

Although both are types of milk there are some major differences between these two which are:

Water Content

Milk powder is produced by the dehydration of regular milk and has about 5% or less moisture content while fresh milk has about 87-90% water content.

Price

Fresh milk has higher cost than milk powder. The latter has 50% less cost than regular milk.

Shelf Life

Milk powder can last as long as 3 years if placed inside airtight containers but expiry time of fresh milk is generally small. You have to consume regular milk within days however it can last up to 6 months when frozen.

Flavor

Milk powder is bland but fresh milk has a characteristic sweet taste.

Nutritional Value

Regular milk provides more nutrition such as anti-oxidants, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Sometimes milk powder loses its vitamins, proteins, and anti-oxidants while processing.

Diet Preference

Milk powder is well-liked among lactose-intolerant people because of its low lactose formula. These individuals cannot consume regular milk due to its high lactose quantity.

15.Top Best 10 Milk Powder

There are many brands of milk powders available in the market which makes the selection process quite difficult. You should look for the following key aspects when buying milk powder in order to get proper nutrition.

• How much energy is generated per serving?
• What is a dairy source?
• How many fats are present per serving?
• Is this powder easy on the gut?

Mentioned below are the top 10 best milk powders available across the globe:

• Nan by Nestle
• Similac by Abbott
• Ensure and Pediasure by Abbott
• Friso by FrieslandCampnia
• Bellamy’s organic by Bellamy’s Australia
• Wyeth by Nestle
• Aptamil by Danone
• Enfagrow by Mead JohnsonNutrition
• Goat Milk by Meyenberg
• Good Start by GERBER

16.Do You Know What Are The Various Packaging Types For Milk Powder?

Milk powder is available in beautiful elegant design packaging. Some of these are:

Metallic Cans

Steel or tin cans are used for packaging milk powder. These metals provide a strong barrier that significantly enhances the shelf life of milk powder. Usually, these are air-tightly sealed to protect the inside powder from contaminants and moisture.

Metallic cans have twice the rate of recycling than plastic packages. The infant’s milk powder is packaged in metal cans or tins.

Bottles and Jars

These packaging forms provide sturdiness and protection to milk powder. These are made of plastic materials such as HDPE that serve as a good safety barrier against moisture and reactive molecules. They have enhanced shelf value.

Tear-Open Packs

These offer great convenience to customers since they are easily opened by tearing the top seal without breaking the body of the packages. These packages are also tamper-evident. Tear notches are present below the upper seal.

Additionally, these tear-open packs for milk powder come in a variety of design styles with eye-catching graphics for customer appeal while preserving the quality of milk powder.

Sachets

Milk powder is packaged inside four-sided sachets for retail distribution. Sachets are produced by versatile barrier film materials for instance low density polyethylene (LDPE), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

These packaging forms can pack about 35 g of powders for single use but are available at an affordable price to consumers.

Gussets Pouches

The gussets or extra space at the side of the pouch increases the cross-sectional area of the bag providing additional space for filling milk powder. Furthermore, the folding cut down the width of side seams which ensures easier packaging for shipment.

These gusset pouches have block bottoms which gives an upright position for display on the retail shelf for boosting sales chances.

Stand-up or Doypack Pouches

In the current era, plastic or aluminum stand-up pouches have mostly replaced metallic cans as one of the top packaging kinds for milk powder. Striking graphics on these pouches are employed for catching the eyes of consumers.

These are popular with manufacturers due to their lower start-up cost, reduce transportation expenses, and decreased material usage. Stand-up pouches can pack about 250-2500 grams of milk powder.

Stick Pack

It is the most affordable and precise packaging type of milk powder. Due to its practicality, it is a major hit among consumers. Stick packing is used for packaging instant milk powder and is easier to carry while traveling.

17.What Are The Various Packaging Machine For Milk Powder?

Milk powder is highly popular among on-the-go youths. Manufacturers are always striving for innovative equipment that fulfills the high consumers’ demands for milk powder. Some of these automation for packaging milk powder are:

Auger Fillers

This automation is quite handy in filling milk powder into metallic cans and glass or plastic jars. The powder is placed inside the hopper and in each cycle accurate amount of milk powder is loaded inside containers with tooling feeders.

Packaging via these equipment is dust free and thus safe for the operator and environment. They have compact design and easily moved around.

Stick Packing Machine

Here, the film roll is cut into multiple smaller fragments. Each fragment goes to forming station where they are shaped into a tube-like package. These tubes are filled with milk powder and sealed by the sealing bars.

Stick-packing machines have high throughput and a smaller footprint.

Vertical Form Fill and Seal Machine (VFFS)

This equipment form bags with plastic or paper film rolls. The particles of milk powder are filled into formed bags via gravity. Afterward, the bags are sealed with heat.

VFFS machines can process wide-ranging film material as well as produce pouches in diverse styles.

Sachet Filling Machines

Milk powder is filled inside 3 or 4 sealed sachets by means of sachet-filling machines. The film is put into the rolling stock and is cut into two panels which are front and back panels.

These panels are fashioned into sachets for filling milk powder. After filling, the sachets are sealed and packaged into larger boxes for shipment. This equipment saves floor space and have a higher return on investment.

18.What Is the Filling & Packaging Procedure Of Milk Powder?

The filling and packaging of powder are done by various machines; the primary working principle of all filling and packaging machines is almost the same. For the filling, the machine picks up the pouch, film, or container and fills the material into it then final sealing can be done. For cans, jars, and bottles, the same procedure is followed as pouch fillers.

The filling and packaging steps involved are as:

Loading

The loading of packaging material is done manually, i.e pouch, can, jars, etc., Then, they’re transferred inside the machine automatically via a conveyor belt.

Holding/Gripping

A set of grippers or holder firmly grasp the containers as it moves through each station.

Filling

Milk powder is dispensed into assigned packaging types depending upon in-feed configuration. The most utilized equipment is an auger filler, vertical film form sealing machine, etc.,

Sealing

To ensure oxygen or air is removed, a nitrogen flush is applied before sealing the bag. Sealing is done via heating bars that adhere to the layers of packaging material.

Cooling

A finished product is cooled down before discharging from the station.

Conclusion

Cakes, chocolates, candies, and syrups go hand in hand with milk powder. It is an ideal component in winter desserts and curries. If you are not a fan of regular milk then milk powder provides you with wholesome nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals. This blog talked about milk powder from the scratch! Interested in Purchasing Milk powder Packaging Machines? Please Contact Us for More Information and Product Guidelines.