Milk powder is made from milk that has been preheated and then concentrated by evaporation. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it, as powder has longer shelf life due to less moisture content. Milk powder also offers reduced transportation and storage costs, compared to liquid milk. This is often desirable in regions with extreme temperatures or poor infrastructure.
Milk powder, or powdered milk, can be either skim milk powder or whole milk powder. Skim milk powder is the most common type and has a maximum shelf life of about 3 years. Whole milk powder has a maximum shelf life of about 6 months, lower because the fat in the powder oxidizes during storage, with a consequent gradual deterioration in taste.
For dairies, milk powder is a clever use for surplus milk while providing an energy efficient way to export dairy products to countries with a shortage.
Milk powder is used for a wide range of products, such as:
Read more about processing applications for milk powder and our filtration solutions for milk and whey based ingredients.
Milk powder has a longer shelf life than UHT milk and it compares favourably with the environmental cost of transporting UHT milk. Read more
The Dairy Processing Handbook is a concentrate of the vast know-how of Tetra Pak Processing. The handbook is also available online Read more