Studies on Milk Powders. III. The Preparation and Properties of Milk Powders containing Low-Melting Butter Oil

Abstract

Summary Butter oil was fractionated to obtain products melting at 19–21, 22–24, and 28–30° C. Agglomerated milk powders were prepared, each containing one of these fat fractions, and one powder was prepared containing the unfractionated butter oil. The wettabilities and dispersibilities of the four products were compared with those of commercial whole milk powder and commercial instant skimmilk powder. The results showed that the melting point of the fat in a milk powder affects greatly its wettability and dispersibility. In particular, the milk powder which contained the butterfat fraction melting at 19–21° C. had approximately the same wettability and dispersibility as commercial instant skimmilk powder. The results suggest that control of the physical properties of the fat component of a dried milk powder provides a means of preparing a milk powder with the fat content of whole milk powder and the wettability and dispersibility of a Superior grade of instant skimmilk powder.