How to make milk powder

Summary

This video explains how liquid milk is transformed into milk powder through a three-step process: filtration, evaporation, and spray drying. First, the milk is filtered to remove 60% of its water content. Next, steam evaporates 25% more water in a vacuum, preserving its nutrients. Finally, the milk is sprayed as fine droplets in a drying chamber where hot air removes the remaining water, leaving a powder with about 3% water content. The result is a nutrient-rich milk powder that can be stored for long periods and reconstituted back into liquid milk simply by adding water.

Takeaways

• 😀 Milk is about 87% water.
• 😀 Removing the water from milk turns it into milk powder.
• 😀 Milk powder is commonly used in chocolate, cheese, and baby formula production.
• 😀 The process of turning liquid milk into powdered milk involves filtration, evaporation, and drying.
• 😀 Filtration removes 60% of the water content by using special membranes that only allow water to pass through.
• 😀 In the evaporation phase, steam evaporates 25% of the remaining water without direct contact with the milk.
• 😀 The evaporation process is conducted in a vacuum to preserve the nutritional value of the milk.
• 😀 The final step is spray drying, where the concentrated milk is sprayed into a tall drying chamber and hot air removes the rest of the water.
• 😀 Spray drying leaves behind a fine powder with about 3% water content, which prevents bacterial growth and enables long-term storage.
• 😀 The powdered milk still contains almost all of the original milk's nutrients, making it a highly nutritious product.

Q & A

What is the main component of milk?

Milk is about 87% water.

What happens when the water is removed from milk?

When the water is removed from milk, you get milk powder.

What are some common uses for milk powder?

Milk powder is commonly used in making chocolate, cheese, baby formula, and many other products.

What are the basic steps involved in turning liquid milk into powdered milk?

The basic steps include filtration, evaporation, and spray drying.

How does filtration work in the process of making milk powder?

In filtration, milk is pumped through special membranes with tiny pores that only allow water to pass through, removing about 60% of the water content.

How does the evaporation phase help in removing water from milk?

In the evaporation phase, steam is used to evaporate 25% of the water, with the milk kept separate from the steam by a thin sheet of steel to preserve its nutritional value.

What is the purpose of using a vacuum during evaporation?

The vacuum lowers the boiling point of the milk, allowing it to be treated gently and preserving its nutritional value.

How does the spray drying process work in making milk powder?

In spray drying, concentrated milk is sprayed into a tall chamber where hot air removes nearly all the remaining water, leaving a fine powder with about 3% water content.

Why can milk powder be stored for a long time?

Milk powder can be stored for a long time due to its low water content, which limits bacterial activity.

What happens to the nutrients in the milk during the powdering process?

Nearly all of the original milk's nutrients remain in the milk powder after the water is removed.