Innovation in milk powder technology

Global trade in preserved milks is on the increase as new markets open up in regions of the world that have not been traditionally associated with milk consumption. Equally, a rise in world milk production is forecasted to continue, and the indications are that significant quantities of the extra milk produced will be converted to commodity products such as butter and powders. Consequently, on-going investment in new spray drying capability is likely to track geographical shifts in milk production. Successful application of advanced process control to the operation of large scale drying plant is both a priority and a challenge.
  Meanwhile, opportunities for the exploitation of milk as a source of functional ingredients are being availed of by the dairy industry as it continues to achieve added value and unique key selling points. Recent research on the role of spray drying, along with other processes in the development of dairy ingredients for applications in chocolate and the preparation of microencapsulated powders, is reviewed.