The present invention relates to a milk powder comprising caseins and whey proteins wherein the powder upon reconstitution in an aqueous medium comprises casein-whey protein/fat aggregates having a mean diameter value Dv50 of at least 1 mycrom as measured by laser diffraction. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a milk powder including the steps of providing a liquid milk concentrate at T<25° C., adjusting pH to 5.7-6.4, heating at 80-150° C. for 3-300 s, cooling to below 70° C. and optionally readjusting the pH to between 6.5-6.8, drying the composition, and the milk powder obtained by this process for producing growing up milks, culinary sauces, coffee mixes, tea and coffee creamer or cocoa-malt beverages.

The invention relates to a process for producing a lactose-free milk powder with a fat-standardized content, such as whole milk, skim milk, lowfat milk, organic milk, non-organic milk and the like.

The invention relates to a process for producing a lactose-free milk powder with a fat-standardized content, such as whole milk, skim milk, lowfat milk, organic milk, non-organic milk and the like.

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve subjecting pasteurized milk to a concentration process thereby forming liquid concentrated milk, then fermenting the liquid concentrated milk to form a fermented concentrated milk product. The fermented concentrated milk product is combined with a liquid emulsifying agent, thereby forming a food product. The food product is formed without the fermented concentrated milk product and the food product reaching a temperature of 145° F.

In a method for deaerating a liquid the liquid is pressurized to a pressure above atmospheric, after which it is guided to an upstream end of a nucleation valve. A low pressure resides on the downstream end of the nucleation valve and as the liquid passes the valve, bubble nucleation is initiated, forming the first step in a deaeration process. According to the method the temperature and pressure on the downstream side of the valve is controlled such that the static pressure is above the saturation pressure, while the lowest pressure as the liquid passes the valve is below or equal to the saturation pressure.

In a method for deaerating a liquid the liquid is pressurized to a pressure above atmospheric, after which it is guided to an upstream end of a nucleation valve. A low pressure resides on the downstream end of the nucleation valve and as the liquid passes the valve, bubble nucleation is initiated, forming the first step in a deaeration process. According to the method the temperature and pressure on the downstream side of the valve is controlled such that the static pressure is above the saturation pressure, while the lowest pressure as the liquid passes the valve is below or equal to the saturation pressure.

A low-bacteria milk powder with a WPNI of at least 2 is suggested, obtainable by (a) providing a milk component; (b) optionally, separating the cream from the milk component; (c) subjecting the milk component from which the cream had been optionally separated to microfiltration, obtaining a low-bacteria permeate P1 and a bacteria-contaminated retentate R1; (d) mixing the permeate with a liquid lipid phase and a solid active agent phase; (e) optionally, subjecting the mixture obtained in step (d) to a temperature treatment; and (f) processing the mixture of step (d) or (e) that had optionally been temperature-treated, obtaining a dry powder.

A low-bacteria milk powder with a WPNI of at least 2 is suggested, obtainable by (a) providing a milk component; (b) optionally, separating the cream from the milk component; (c) subjecting the milk component from which the cream had been optionally separated to microfiltration, obtaining a low-bacteria permeate P1 and a bacteria-contaminated retentate R1; (d) mixing the permeate with a liquid lipid phase and a solid active agent phase; (e) optionally, subjecting the mixture obtained in step (d) to a temperature treatment; and (f) processing the mixture of step (d) or (e) that had optionally been temperature-treated, obtaining a dry powder.

Concentrated creams are produced from starting cream compositions characterized as homogenous, oil-in-water emulsions containing fat globules, phospholipid membrane components and non-fat solids, and which have an initial fat content between about 35 to about 55 percent by weight. To produce the concentrated creams, moisture is removed from the starting cream compositions through evaporative processing, and as a result, the concentrated cream remains in a homogenous state, retains the fat globules, phospholipid membrane components and non-fat solids, and includes a concentrated fat content of at least about 70 percent by weight. In addition, the concentrated cream may be in an oil-in-water or a bi-continuous emulsion. Evaporative processing may be through a wiped film evaporator or a scraped surface heat exchanger.

Concentrated creams are produced from starting cream compositions characterized as homogenous, oil-in-water emulsions containing fat globules, phospholipid membrane components and non-fat solids, and which have an initial fat content between about 35 to about 55 percent by weight. To produce the concentrated creams, moisture is removed from the starting cream compositions through evaporative processing, and as a result, the concentrated cream remains in a homogenous state, retains the fat globules, phospholipid membrane components and non-fat solids, and includes a concentrated fat content of at least about 70 percent by weight. In addition, the concentrated cream may be in an oil-in-water or a bi-continuous emulsion. Evaporative processing may be through a wiped film evaporator or a scraped surface heat exchanger.