Milk powder: production and use
The so-called milk powder or dry milk powder is milk solids.
This is made by removing the water from whole milk, which consists of about 87 percent water. A distinction must be made between free water and unfree water. The free water is extracted from the milk so that the water content is reduced from 87 percent to 3 percent non-free water. About six to seven liters of milk are needed to produce one kilogram of milk powder.
Milk powder is made from whole milk by drying it. The proportion of dry matter in the milk is increased in a so-called evaporator by evaporating the water content of the milk and is then dried in a spray tower. After production, milk powder contains around 26 percent fat, 25 percent protein and 38 percent lactose. Skimmed milk powder is made from skimmed milk using the same process. The water content in skimmed milk powder is about 3 – 4 percent. The skimmed milk powder contains around 36 percent protein and 52 percent lactose.
Powdered milk contains fewer vitamins than liquid milk. Some of the vitamins are lost during the drying process. The powder has numerous uses. It is used, among other things, for the production of cheese, yoghurt, confectionery and baked goods, as a basis for instant baby food and, above all, for the production of chocolate. Milk powder is also often contained in long-life and weight-reduced foods such as are known for the outdoor leisure sector. Brine cheese can also be made partly from powdered milk.
The milk powder is also suitable for the production of milk. The milk made from milk powder is also known as dry milk. The milk can be produced industrially in a dry milk factory or at home. All you have to do is add water to the powder to make milk again. However, the taste of dried milk differs from the taste of conventional milk.