GB886518A - Improvements in or relating to milk products - Google Patents

Abstract

A whole milk powder comprises (1) winterized liquid butter fat with non-fat milk solids or (2) winterized solid butter fat with non-fat milk solids, the proportion of total fat present approximating to the fat content of whole milk powder, or a mixture of (1) and (2) separately formed. Preferred proportions are approximately 1 part of liquid fat for 1 to 3 parts of the non-fat milk solids in component (1) and approximately 1 part of solid fat for 2 to 5 parts of the non-fat milk solids in component (2); the two components are then blended, as by spray drying, in such proportions as to make the total fat content at least 1 part for about 2.47 parts of non-fat milk solids. Winterizing temperatures of between 70 DEG and 85 DEG F. are stated to give the best products. The wettability of the whole milk powders may be increased by including a proportion of 20-50% of lactose. According to an example, raw whole milk was flash heat-treated and then separated into cream and skim milk; the cream was further separated by destabilizing treatment and centrifuging to yield a butter oil of about 99.6% fat content. The skim milk resulting from the various separation treatments was concentrated at a low temperature to 36% solids-not-fat, for use later in the process, whilst the butter oil was winterized at 70 DEG F. The liquid fat, to which a trace of citric acid was added to inactivate metallic contamination, and solid fat thereby obtained were steam-stripped and thereafter protected from oxidation (see Group III, abridgment of Specification 886,519, which was divided on the present Specification). The liquid fat after stripping was blended and homogenized into the skim milk concentrate at a temperature of about 120 DEG F., in a proportion of 1 part of fat to 1.18 parts of milk solids-not-fat and spray dried to a cream powder of 45% fat at a moisture level of 2%. The solid fat was similarly blended at 140 DEG F. in the proportion of 1 part of fat to 5.0 parts of milk solids-not-fat and then spray dried to a low-fat milk powder of 16% fat at a moisture level of 3%. The readily dispersible final product was prepared by blending these two components in proportions to give a powder of about 28% fat content.