COURSE TITLE: FOOD AND INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY

COURSE NO. - DTM-321: CREDIT HRS-3 (2+1)

MICROBIOLOGY OF MILK POWDER

RAKESH KUMAR
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (DAIRY MICROBIOLOGY)
FACULTY OF DAIRY TECHNOLOGY
S.G.I.D.T., BVC CAMPUS,
P.O.- BVC, DIST.-PATNA-800014
 Whole Milk Powder
Skim Milk Powder
Infant Foods
Malted Milk Foods
Dairy Whitener
Dried Cream
Milk powder – Desiccated form of milk
Dried butter
Degree of concentration – Nearly whole of the moisture removed
Dried Ice-Cream Mix
Product – Less perishable, less space for packaging and storage
Dried Sweetened
and transportation is easier
Condensed Milk
Dried Whey
✓ Excess milk supply during flush season Butter Milk Powder
✓ Conservation of natural characteristics of fresh milk Cheese Powder
✓ Dependable keeping quality of finished product Khoa Powder
✓ Reduction in volume / easy to transport Channa Powder
✓ Provide a product to be used in different foods Srikhand Powder
Dry Sodium Caseinate
INTRODUCTION - Milk is highly
perishable in nature, so it is
desirable to preserve it for later
consumption. Drying is the most
important method of preservation.
The advantage is that using modern
techniques, it is possible to convert
the milk to powder without any
loss in nutritive value, i.e. milk
made from powder has the same
food value as fresh milk. The
disadvantage is that drying
consumes require lot of energy and
no other product processing in the
dairy industry require higher
energy than this for per tonne of
final produce.
APPLICATIONS OF DRIED MILK POWDER
✓ Baked products, snacks and soups
✓ Cheese milk extension (powder is added to local fresh milk to increase the yield of cheese)
✓ Chocolates and confectionery
✓ Sweets and Dairy desserts
✓ Direct consumer / household use (reconstitution)
✓ Ice cream
✓ Baby foods / Infant formulae
✓ Nutritional products for immune compromised persons, invalids, athletes, hospital use etc.
✓ Recombined "fresh", UHT, evaporated and sweetened condensed milks
✓ Recombined cheeses, mainly "soft" or "fresh"
✓ Recombined coffee and whipping creams
✓ Recombined yoghurts and other fermented products
 INTRODUCTION
MILK POWDER
Milk powder manufacturing is a process carried out on a large scale. It involves removal of
water under stringent hygiene conditions while retaining all the desirable natural properties
of the milk i.e. colour, flavour, solubility, nutritional value. During milk powder
manufacturing, water is removed by boiling the milk under reduced pressure at low
temperature and the concentrated milk produced is then sprayed in a fine mist into hot air
to remove further moisture and so produce milk powder. Whole (full cream) milk contains
about 87% water and skim milk contains about 91% water and approximately 13 kg of
whole milk powder (WMP) or 9 kg of skim milk powder (SMP) can be made from 100 L
of whole / skimmed milk respectively.
Milk Powder (IS: 1165-2002): Partly skimmmed milk Powder (IS: 14542-1998)
i) Standard Grade (IS: 13334 (Part I) : 1998) ii) Extra Grade (IS: 13334 (Part 2) : 1992)
 The heat processing of milk reduces the water activity, subsequently destroy pathogenic and
spoilage microorganisms and Inactivate enzymes. Heating / Drying induced chemical
interactions leading to reduction of redox potential and helps in extending the shelf life of
dried milk powder under the ambient temperature storage.
Dried milk powder made with whole milk or skimmed milk dehydrated to about 97% by
spray drying / vacuum drying. It showed good shelf life, highly hygroscopic and can be
reconstituted to fluid milk for further use. Skim milk powder: Skim Milk Powder is obtained
by removing water from pasteurized skim milk. It contains 4% or less moisture (by weight)
and 1.5% or less milkfat (by weight) and a minimum milk protein content of 34%.
RECEIVING AND SELECTION
➢ Cooling to 4°C.
➢ Milk should be of high chemical, bacteriological and organoleptic quality.
➢ Presence of antibiotic and pesticides in raw milk reduce the quality.
➢ If the titratable acidity is higher than 0.15%, solubility of the product will be reduces.
➢ Clarification by centrifugation or filtration.
➢ Standardization: to adjust the ratio of fat and Total Solids.

Preheating -- Standardized milk is heated to temperatures between 75°C and 120°C and
held for a specified time from a few seconds up to several minutes (pasteurization: 72°C for
15s). Preheating causes a controlled denaturation of the whey proteins in the milk and it
destroys bacteria, inactivates enzymes, generates natural antioxidants and imparts heat
stability. The exact heating/holding regime depends on the type of product and its intended
end-use. High preheats in Whole Milk Powder is associated with improved keeping quality
but reduced solubility. Preheating methods are indirect (via heat exchangers), or direct (via
steam injection or infusion into the product), or sometimes a mixture of the two.
Production of skimmed milk powder
Heat treatment -- Different pasteurisation methods 1 Low-temperature-longer time(LTLT) -
65°C for 30 minutes, called the Holding or Batch method 2 High-Temperature-Short-Time
(HTST) - heat treatment of 72°C for 15 seconds is applied followed by rapid cooling to below
10°C. Also called the continuous system or flash pasteurisation. 3 Ultra High Temperature
(UHT) - 149.5°C for 1 second or 93.4°C for 3 sec.
Heat treatment effect -- Higher than pasteurization (88-95°C/15- 30sec) 1. Destroy all
pathogens. 2. Inactivate enzymes (especially lipase). 3. Activate SH groups (antioxidant).
HTST produces better powder quality. De-aeration of milk before heating protects vitamin C.
Condensing / Evaporation -- The preheated milk gets concentrated in stages from around 9.0%
total solids content for skim milk and 13% for whole milk, up to 45-52% total solids. This is
achieved by boiling the milk under a vacuum at temperatures below 72°C in a falling film on
the inside of vertical tubes, and removing the water as vapour. This vapour, which may be
mechanically or thermally compressed, is then used to heat the milk in the next effect of the
evaporator which may be operated at a lower pressure and temperature than the preceding
effect. More than 85% of the water in the milk may be removed in the evaporator. Modern
plants may have up to seven effects for maximum energy efficiency.
Condensing --- In spray drying, milk is concentrated to 40-50% and for roller drying, to only
33- 35%. Highly concentrated milk will form a thick layer on the roller and create difficulties
during atomization which inhibits further drying process.
Homogenization --- to prevent creaming or the rising of fat to the top of the container of milk.
The process of homogenization permanently emulsifies the fine fat globules by a method that
pumps milk under high pressure [2000–2500 lb/in2 (psi)] through small mesh orifices of a
homogenizer. Homogenization mechanically increases the number & reduces the size of the
fat globules. The size is reduced to 1/10 of their original size. Resulting in the milk that
maintains more uniform composition with improved body and texture, a whiter appearance,
richer flavor, & more digestible curd.
Heating – Before entering the drying chamber, concentrated milk feed is slightly heated to
reduce its viscosity and to increase the energy available for drying.
Air Filtration – Air filter is used to prevent contamination due to dust or any other particulate
matter.
Feed Pump – Three piston pump with pressures upto 300-400 bar is used for pumping feed.
SPRAY DRYING Atomization – Atomization of the concentrated milk is the principle of
the spray drying process. The atomizer may be either a pressure nozzle or a centrifugal disc.
By atomization the concentrate is converted into droplets of size 10-200um, with the greatest
portion in the range 40-80um. Smaller droplet size results in higher surface area which helps in
drying.
Drying Chamber – Concentrated milk feed comes in contact with hot air here and is dried
(Inlet Air Temperature 130-200°C; Outlet Air Temperature 65-90°C and atomization pressure
150-300 kPa).
Co-current flow of hot air is preferred. By controlling the size of the droplets, the air
temperature, and the airflow, it is possible to evaporate almost all the moisture while exposing
the solids to relatively low temperatures. External hammers are used on the cone to avoid
build-up of dried particles.
Cyclone Separator – The principle of cyclone separation is based on the centrifugal force
exerted on a particle. It separates particles based on their density. Fines are sent forward to the
filters.
Drum drying ---- Roller drying involves direct contact of a layer of concentrated milk
with the hot surface of rotating rollers or drums. The drum body of the drum dryer is heated
on the inside by steam. Feed used for roller drying contains 45-50% solid content.
Depending on the design of the drum dryer, the product is applied continuously as a thin
film at the bottom or top of the main drum. As the drum rotates and is heated on the inside,
the product dries on the outside of the drum surface. The moisture evaporates and leaves
the process at the top. If necessary, the vapor can also be removed by suction locally
around the drum. The dried product film finally reaches the knife and is scraped off. It
often causes irreversible changes such as lactose caramelization, Maillard reaction and
protein denaturation.
Packaging and storage --- Milk powder is packed into either plastic-lined multi-wall
bags (25 kg) or air tight bulk bins (600 kg). WMPs are often packed under nitrogen gas to
protect the product from oxidation and to maintain their flavour and extend their keeping
quality. Packaging is chosen to provide a barrier to moisture, oxygen and light. Bags
generally consist of several layers to provide strength and the necessary barrier properties.
Retail milk powder is usually packed in tin containers.
Agglomeration of milk powders --- Standard powders, because of their fine dusty
nature, do not reconstitute well in water. "Agglomerated" and "instant" powders were
specifically developed to counter this. The manufacture of an agglomerated powder initially
follows the standard process of evaporation and drying, described earlier. However, during
spray drying small particles of powder leaving the drier (the "fines") are recovered in
cyclones and returned to the drying chamber in the close proximity of the atomiser. The wet
concentrate droplets collide with the fines and stick together, forming larger (0.1-0.3 mm),
irregular shaped "agglomerates". Agglomerated powders disperse in water more rapidly and
are less dusty and easier to handle than standard powders.
Microbiology of Dried milks
Roller dried milks always show lower counts (approximately 1000 / gm) while
low heat spray dried powders –few thousand to one million
Variation in count is mainly due to two reasons i) Degree of contamination; ii) Difference
in temperature employed at different stages of processing.
As we live in microbial world, there are ample opportunities for the milk to get
contaminated at different stage of food chain. Microbes such as Aspergillus, Bacillus,
Enterococcus, Micrococcus, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Streptococcus can cause
spoilage of dried milk powder. High microbial load in milk and dairy products leads to
spoilage, and economic losses to the producers. Although, pathogens such as Escherichia
coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Shigella must be absent in dried milk
powder.
Relatively low numbers of microorganisms survive processing. Heat resistant organisms
(spore-formers and non-spore-formers) and mould are responsible for deterioration of milk
powders, if the product is allowed to absorb moisture during prolonged storage. The aw of
dried milks is otherwise too low to support microbial growth and a general decrease in
microbial counts occurs during storage.
Although dried milk products have been implicated in a number of foodborne disease
outbreaks, these have usually been the result of post-pasteurisation contamination by
pathogens. Foodborne pathogenic bacteria are unable to grow in dried milk powders, but
may survive for long periods.
Before evaporation and drying, the milk is standardised, if required, and heat treated.
Vegetative bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae and Listeria monocytogenes have been
shown to survive the drying process, and therefore all raw milk should receive a process at
least equivalent to pasteurisation. Skimmed milk may also be subjected to low, medium
and high heat processes to give varying degrees of protein denaturation as required.
Typically, a low heat process will be 74°C for 30 seconds, a medium heat process 80-
100°C for 1-2 minutes, and a high heat process may be equivalent to an ultra high
temperature (UHT) treatment (140-150 °C). Milk for dried whole milk powders is heated
at 85-95°C for several minutes. UHT heating units result in products that have excellent
microbiological quality, which is important when dried milk is to be used as an ingredient
in baby food.
Salmonella spp.
There have been several significant salmonellosis outbreaks associated with dried milk
powders, and Salmonella contamination has come to be regarded as a serious potential
hazard in dried milk products. It was found that contamination was widespread in both
product and this finding gave rise to a number of improvements in hygiene, sanitation and
process control. The organism is thought to have originated in raw milk and then spread
through the plant. It seems to have entered the insulation material of the dryer through small
cracks in the dryer wall, and this then acted as a reservoir from which Salmonella could
repeatedly contaminate the finished product. In 2005, powdered infant formula contaminated
with S. agona was implicated in an outbreak involving 104 infants in France. Such
outbreaks are often linked to contamination in equipment that is poorly designed and
difficult to clean effectively, and the Salmonella strains involved are often found to be
lactose-positive.
Staphylococcus aureus
Contamination of dried milk powders with staphylococcal enterotoxins was a
significant problem in the 1950s, and several outbreaks were recorded, often caused by
growth and toxin production in the concentrated milk prior to drying. Improvements in
temperature control and hygiene prior to drying have largely eliminated this problem.
More recently, in 2000, a very large outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning was
reported in Japan, which affected over 13,420 people. This outbreak was associated with
consumption of semi-skimmed liquid milk, which was manufactured using dried skimmed
milk powder. It was thought that some temperature abuse could have occurred during
production of the dried milk, allowing Staph. aureus to grow and produce heat-stable
toxin, which then persisted through to the finished product and cause intoxication, even
though the thermal processes had destroyed the organism .
Listeria monocytogenes
No cases of listeriosis associated with dried milk products have been reported. However, the
ubiquity of Listeria spp. in dairy plants and other wet processing areas and the cases of listeriosis
linked to other dairy products suggest that contamination of dried products is possible. The
survival of L. Monocytogenes during spray drying and storage of product has been
investigated. Spray drying was found to give a small reduction in numbers, and the viable count
continued to decline during storage, but viable L. monocytogenes could still be isolated from
some samples after 12 weeks.
Bacillus spp.
Bacillus cereus has been found to be a common contaminant in dried milk. In the US, 62.5%
of samples of milk powder were found to be positive, and, in Brazil, the organism was isolated
from 80% of samples examined. Although there have been many reports of B. cereus food
poisoning associated directly with dried milk consumption, in 2005, milk powder contaminated
with B. licheniformis and B. subtilis was the cause of an outbreak in Croatia involving 12
children. Reconstituted milk that was held for 2 hours prior to consumption, without boiling, was
identified as the caus. B. cereus spores can survive for many months in dried milk powders.
Enterobacter spp.
Enterobacter spp. are not normally regarded as food borne pathogens, but there have been a
number of outbreaks of neonatal meningitis caused by Enterobacter sakazakii associated
with dried milk consumption, with fatality rates as high as 30 – 80%. Powdered infant
formulae contaminated with C. sakazakii was responsible for outbreaks among infants.
These outbreaks are thought to have been due to growth of the organism in the reconstituted
powder. The presence of any members of the Enterobacteriaceae in infant formulae may
therefore be a cause for concern. Studies have shown that C. sakazakii can survive spray-
dying when inoculated into skimmed milk powder.

Toxins
The mycotoxin aflatoxin M l has occasionally been found in dried milk. The drying process
has been found to reduce the concentration, but a significant amount is able to survive
processing and storage of finished product for long periods.

Thank You