Processing applications for milk powder
How can dairies use their surplus milk? The obvious answer is to export it to those parts of the world where local demand outstrips supply. However, issues associated with exporting milk include, short shelf life, large transport and storage costs.
A better option is often to turn it into powder first. Milk powder is a convenient format with flexibility for further processing into a wide range of products. Typically, powder is recombined locally and used to replace liquid milk when local milk is not available or not cost effective. Transforming liquid milk into powder is a great way to lengthen its shelf life and the reduced transport costs make it an efficient way to move milk across large distances. Combined with relatively low cost packaging and storage, powder can help manufacturers balance supply with demand.
Thanks to our advanced, energy efficient evaporators and dryers, Tetra Pak is well placed to serve the growing milk powder industry. Our solutions are designed to capture economies of scale and meet producers' needs for efficient and economical production. We can make evaporators up to 20 metres high with fans driven by motors at 600 – 700 Kw and our spray dryers for dairy products are industry leading.
However, what's most unique about Tetra Pak is our knowledge of handling powder products. We use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to simulate trials before carrying out pilot tests in a physical plant. CFD also helps us create the optimal line design for each dairy, ensuring minimal consumption of energy and other utilities.