How Is Milk Converted to Powdered Milk?

Milk is converted to powdered milk through a series of steps conducted in a commercial creamery. Tank trucks bring fresh milk to the creamery from dairy farms on a daily basis. The milk must pass several quality checks before it begins the conversion to powdered milk.

Evaporation

• An evaporator removes about one-third of the liquid from the milk and pasteurizes it. A separator removes the cream and the milk is standardized to ensure consistency. The condensed milk is then dried through a spraying process where milk droplets fall through quickly moving air in huge towers to remove all remaining moisture.

Benefits

• Powdered milk offers many advantages over regular, liquid milk. It lasts for anywhere from six months to two years, depending on its fat content. It does not need refrigeration, and for this reason is a popular product in many countries where refrigeration is not readily available.

Warning

• Powdered milk may contain substances that encourage the development of atherosclerosis. This is a concern with other dried animal products as well, such as dried egg products and cheese.