206

POWDERED WHOLE AND MILK PRODUCTS— THEIR POSSIBLE EFFECT UPON THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY* P. H. T racy Department of Dairy Husbandry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

The preservation of food by drying in popularity in the1 manufacture of Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/7/4/206/2393444/0022-2747_7_4_206.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 has been practiced by man for many bread, ice , and candy at the hundreds of years. Even the drying expense of sweetened and unsweetened of milk is not new, for a product of this ? To what extent will nature is described by Marco Polo, powdered milk solids replace who traveled through Asia in the 13th other milk solids in food manufacture ? century. Dried whole milk and milk To answer properly these questions, products have been manufactured on a one must consider certain fundamental commercial basis in this country since principles affecting the operation of the before the last war. Although the sale dried milk industry. To be successful of dried whole milk, cream, a new product or a new method must mix, and special milk products has result in one or more of the following: been somewhat limited, the demand for 1. Improvement over the former powdered skim milk has increased product or method. rapidly. The global war has, of course, 2. Greater convenience. greatly increased our interest in all 3. Lower cost. dried foods. Dried milk is in great The importance of any one of these demand for lend lease purposes and for factors as related to the others will feeding the armed forces. Dried milk depend to a certain extent on the kind occupies less valuable shipping space of society we will have when this war than does . It is more is over. If our mass of working people palatable, is not damaged by freezing, are forced to compete with low-paid and when properly made, will keep six workers of China, India, and Japan, months or longer, even when stored the cost item will be of greatest impor- under summer conditions. . tance. Likewise if we suffer a serious Much speculation has been made as and long depression, cost will be a very to what part dried milk and milk important factor. If we enjoy con­ products will play in the dairy industry tinued prosperity, convenience will be of tomorrow. Many have asked these more important than cost. On the questions: To what extent will con­ other hand, if the government prac­ sumers continue to use powdered tices a controlled economy so that free whole milk after the war is over? To competition ceases, then it makes no what extent will new consumers be difference which type of milk product found for this product ? Assuming that the consumer is supplied with as it is powdered milk will gain in popularity, assumed that by government subsidy which markets will suffer the most— any one branch of the industry will be the evapprated or fresh milk markets ? protected against the competition of Will dried ice cream mix supply most other branches of that industry which of the ice cream manufacturers who are are more efficient, and therefore in a now buying prepared mixes ? Will position to sell at a lower cost. powdered milk solids continue to gain Q u a l it y o f D r ie d v s . F r e s h M il k * Presented at Wisconsin Dairy Manufacturers’ One of the limiting factors in the Conference, University of Wisconsin, March 31, 1944. successful manufacture of powdered J ournal of Milk T echnology 207

whole milk has been the development This will give this product a decided of a stale, oxidized flavor. Although sales advantage over fresh milk sup­ the complete solution of this problem plies in some markets. is not in sight, sufficient progress has been made to enable one to predict that C o n v e n ie n c e a s L i m i t i n g S a l e s after this war is over, methods for the One very important factor which manufacture of powdered whole milk will affect the sales acceptance of of good keeping quality will be so far powdered milk is convenience. House­ advanced that oxidation will cease to wives object to kitchen drudgery. This Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/7/4/206/2393444/0022-2747_7_4_206.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 be a major problem. The flavor of will be particularly true of the house­ reconstituted powdered milk does not wife of tomorrow, who today is a much equal the flavor of fresh milk of high saluted officer in the W AVES or quality and the discriminating buyer WACS or who holds down an impor­ undoubtedly will continue to use fresh tant defense job. Unsliced bread, re­ milk. However, for a large mass of gardless of how good it may be, cannot people, the difference in flavor will not compete with sliced bread sold at the be great enough to cause them to re­ same price. One reason for the popu­ frain from the use of powdered milk. larity of homogenized milk is that it The importance of good flavor in does not have to be mixed before pour­ market milk has been stressed for sev­ ing. The reconstitution of powdered eral years because of its relation to the whole milk by the housewife must be corisumption of milk in fluid form. made simple enough that she will not Milk dealers who put out bottled milk object to the labor involved in mixing that is rancid, oxidized, sour, or has a the powder with water. It will 'be im­ strong feed, or sunshine flavor are portant that the industry manufacture playing into the hands of the drug store a powder that is quickly, easily, and milk dealer of tomorrow. Powdered completely dissolved in cold water whole milk properly made and packed without elaborate equipment. may be slightly cooked in flavor but is Certain conveniences in connection likely to be free of those off flavors so with the use of powder may be common to fresh milk. Studies have mentioned: shown that both the condensing and 1. Several days or even weeks sup­ drying operations remove certain unde­ ply can be kept on hand. sirable flavors which may be present so 2. No daily or every other day de­ that the reconstituted milk may be livery of milk will be necessary. superior in flavor to the fresh milk. 3. Only periodic trips to the grocery Powdered milk of the future will or drug store to obtain a supply probably be uniform in composition, will be necessary. one of the factors that has been instru­ 4. It will not be necessary to wash mental in winning for evaporated milk and return bottles. the demand it has experienced in re­ 5. When traveling, camping, or cent years. Uniformity is desirable not going on picnics, the milk supply only for household use but for food problem will be simplified. manufacturing purposes as well. 6. Because of its highly concentrated Since the margin of profit on pow­ form, the powder will have a dered whole milk is likely to be low, wider range of uses in cooking, its manufacture will be largely in the and baking. hands of large operators. Because organizations of this size are Usually in Whether or not the conveniences of better position to exercise complete the use of powdered whole milk will laboratory control over all operations, outweigh the inconveniences will prob­ milk powder should produce a recon­ ably depend upon each individual’s stituted milk of high sanitary quality. viewpoint, as well as the success of the

/ 208 Powdered Whole Milk advertising program which the dried 8. The concentration of dairying in milk industry will use in marketing its those sections best suited for this product. industry will result in the estab­ lishment of a highly specialized R e l a t iv e C o st o f P o w d e r e d a n d type of producer who should be F r e s h M il k able to produce milk of high Probably the most important factor quality at a lower cost. related to the future success of pow­ 9. The manufacture of milk powder dered whole milk will be the relative will escape a number of minor Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/7/4/206/2393444/0022-2747_7_4_206.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 cost of a quart of fresh milk and a costs which confront the city dis­ quart of reconstituted milk. Since tributors of fluid milk such as: powdered milk will be competing with a. High property taxes. evaporated milk as well as fresh milk, b. Returns from stores and routes. its price will need to be such that the c. Local advertising. cost of four ounces of powder will be d. Local charity solicitations. approximately the cost of a 14J4-ounce e. Dating regulations. can of evaporated milk. Under present f. Losses in handling. market conditions, this means that a g. Local licenses and permits. quart of reconstituted whole milk would cost the consumer 9-10 cents. O x id iz e d F l a v o r a M a jo r P r o b l e m There is no question but that powdered Much criticism has been made of the whole milk would find a ready market powdered whole milk served our men at this price today. in service-—and rightly so. Some of it On the basis of large scale produc­ has been fishy and much of it has been tion it should be a simple matter for oxidized in flavor. While studies of powdered whole milk to compete with this problem have been under way for fresh milk for the following reasons: < a good many years, a great deal was 1. By handling large quantities daily not known about methods of control. only a small profit margin will be Few universities have been equipped to necessary. study the problem,,- so that most of 2. Powder can be produced in those the experimental work has been done sections best suited for the eco­ by industrial research laboratories. nomical production of milk. Studies on this problem are under way 3. The high rent and labor costs of at the University of Illinois at the the milk producer located in the present time. While the studies are by city milk shed can be avoided. no means completed, certain interesting 4. There is less labor, heat units, and trends have manifested themselves at refrigeration applied per potind of this time. These data might be sum­ solids in giving milk powder form marized as follows: and place utility than is necessary 1. High forewarming temperatures for fluid milk. (170° F., 20 minutes—250° F., 5. The labor used in the processing 1 second) are beneficial. of powdered milk will usually be 2. High concentration of the milk is less, costly than that used for proc- desirable. sesing fluid milk. 3. Copper must be reduced to a 6. Since milk powder will be sold minimum (1.5 p.p.m. or less). largely through stores, the cost of 4. Large particle size powder keeps marketing will be less than that of better than extremely fine powder. fluid milk sold on the milk route. (a) Low spray pressure. 7. Unreasonable milk ordinances are (b) Low spray temperature. not so likely to be a factor in in­ (c) Low homogenizing pressure. creased production costs in the 5. Powder packed hot keeps better case of powdered milk. than packed cold. J ournal of M ilk T echnology 209

6. Anti-oxidants such as wheat germ A d v e r t is in g W i l l B e I m p o r t a n t oil and sodium ascorbate will To sell successfully dried milk prod­ retard oxidation. ucts to the housewife will require a 7. Packing with nitrogen is essen­ tremendous amount of expensive ad­ tial for the manufacture of good vertising. The use .of these products keeping powder. will be a decided departure from the 8. In much of the commercial pack­ conventional way of doing things. To ing there is not sufficient removal convince the housewife that she should of air to prevent oxidation from change from getting her milk in bottles Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/7/4/206/2393444/0022-2747_7_4_206.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 taking place fairly rapidly. The to getting it in packages will necessi­ oxygen level should be one-half tate the cooperation of some of our percent or less. most expert sales organizations. I 9. Re-gassing after 24 hours is help­ would hesitate to say it cannot be done, ful in retarding oxidation. for items much less useful to the health 10. Peroxide value measurements will and happiness of the human race have not accurately predict the keeping been firmly established on the dealer’s quality of the powder nor will it shelf through the wisecracks of high- accurately indicate its immediate priced radio talent. quality. 11. Storage temperature is a very important factor in the keeping of E n t h u s i a s m o f I n d u s t r y I m p o r t a n t the powder. Powder keeps best The enthusiasm of the dairy industry at low temperatures. itself will be an important factor in determining the success of the pow­ D r ie d M il ic P r o d u c t s i n t h e P o s t - dered whole milk in the post-war W a r P e r io d period. As previously indicated, the Much of what has been said for pow­ manufacture of dried milk naturally dered whole milk will hold true for gravitates into the hands of a few large other dried milk products. The excel­ producers. Many of these organiza­ lent program of the Dried Milk Insti­ tions are also interested in the manu­ tute will continue to build up sales for facture of either powdered skim milk dried milk solids. Most bakers prefer or evaporated milk or both and they dried milk to sweetened condensed may even be distributors of fresh milk. milk for bread making. This product Under such conditions they naturally will probably gain in popularity in the will not be so interested in developing ice cream industry, and in certain milk methods of manufacturing and market­ sheds it will be used for the manufac­ ing a product competitive with their ture of cultured milk and present line. There would also be the milk drinks. Powdered sweet cream question of developing new sources of butter milk has proven very satisfac­ , as the present supplies are tory for mix manufacture. Powdered likely needed for the present market. cream will prove popular as a com­ If there is a continued high level of panion product for powdered whole production in the post-war period and milk. Large quantities of powdered a decreased demand, it may be advis­ ice cream mix are being made for the able, however, to develop new products government at the present time. The as a means of utilizing this surplus use of this product in the post-war milk to advantage. period by counter freezer operators and Another point to consider is the pos­ certain of the smaller manufacturers sibility of competition from foreign seems logical. Special dried milk prod-. manufacturers such as those located in ucts, such as milk drinks, baby foods, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, and ice cream mix for home use un­ who undoubtedly have made rapid doubtedly will be developed. strides in the manufacture of powdered 210 P owdered W hole Milk whole milk during the war and who tion to supply consumers with products will be interested in finding suitable of satisfactory quality. Much is yet to outlets abroad for their surplus solids. be done in the development of satisfac­ Competition of this type and that which tory methods of manufacture. There may come from certain enthusiastic is also need of development of milk domestic promoters of dried foods may drying equipment. Rapid methods for lead to a general interest in the expan­ removing the oxygen from the pack­ sion of the dried whole milk industry aged powder, charging it with nitro­ in the United States. gen, and sealing without exposure to Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/7/4/206/2393444/0022-2747_7_4_206.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 the atmosphere are greatly needed. F u t u r e S u c c e s s o f D r ie d M i l k The economical production of dried W i l l D e p e n d L a r g e l y whole milk and milk products should U p o n R e s e a r c h be the goal of our research workers of The predictions made regarding the today so that after the Axis powers no future of dried whole milk and milk longer exist, we will be ready to con­ products in the post-war period are tribute our part to the building of a based upon the assumption that through post-war industry that is economically research the industry will be in a posi­ sound.

ENUMERATION. OF Escherichia AND Aerobacfer (Continued jrom page 205)

2. Breed, Robert S. Proc. Third Int. 8. Noble, R .E., and White, John L. Ibid., Cong. Microb., 723, 1939. 29, «23 (1935). 3. Farrell, Michael A. Jour. Dairy Sci., 20, 9. Skinner, C. E. Ibid., 30, 331 (1935). 67 (1937). 10. Skinner, C. E. Proc. Third Int. Cong. 4. Fisher, R. A. Statistical Methods for Microb., 724, 1939. Research Workers, London, 1925. 11. Skinner, C. E., and Honaas, O. Jour. 5. Halvorson, Η. O., and Ziegler, N. R. Bact, 32, 119 (1936). Jour. Bact., 25, 101 (1932). 12. Stark, .C. N., and England, C. W. 6. Halvorson, Η. O., and Ziegler, N. R. Ibid., 29, 26 (1935). Ibid., 26, 559 (1933). 13. Ziegler, N. R., and Halvorson, H. O. 7. Leahy, H. W. Ibid., 34, 349 (1937). Ibid., 29, 609 (1935). ’