Drying Process and Its Types

DRYING PROCESS AND ITS TYPES

The drying process for milk powder involves evaporating the moisture content fromliquidmilk to create a powder form. There are several methods used to achieve this, includingspraydrying and roller drying:

Spray Drying:

Spray drying is the most common method used to produce milk powder.

In this process, liquid milk is first concentrated to increase its solids content.

The concentrated milk is then sprayed into a heated chamber or tower.

As the milk droplets fall through the chamber, hot air is circulated to evaporate the moisture, leaving behind fine milk particles.

The dried milk particles are collected at the bottom of the chamber and then further processed to achieve the desired particle size and moisture content.

Advantages: Spray drying is a highly efficient method that produces milk powder with good solubility, flowability, and flavor retention. It can handle large volumes of liquid mikandi suitable for producing various types of milk powders, including whole milk powder, skim milk powder, and whey powder.

Applications: Spray drying is widely used in the dairy industry for producing milk powders used in food and beverage products, such as infant formula, bakery products, confectionery, and dairy-based beverages.

Roller Drying:

Roller drying is an older method of producing milk powder and is less commonly used today.

In this process, liquid milk is spread thinly onto heated rollers.

The milk forms a thin film on the rollers, and as it passes through the rollers, the moisture is evaporated, leaving behind dried milk particles.

The dried milk Is then scraped off the rollers and collected as powder.

Advantages: Roller drying is a simpler and less expensive method compared to spray drying. It is suitable for producing milk powders with larger particle sizes and can be used for heat-sensitive materials. However, it generally produces milk powders with lower solubility and flowability compared to spray drying.

Applications: Roller drying is less common in the dairy industry today but may still beusedfor producing specific types of milk powders or as part of integrated manufacturing processesfor dairy-based products.

Both spray drying and roller drying result in milk powder with a long shelf life andaresuitable for large-scale production. The choice of drying method may depend on factors suchas the desired characteristics of the final product, the available equipment, and economicconsiderations. Spray drying is generally preferred for its efficiency and ability to produceafiner powder with better solubility.