Shelf life of powdered milk: composition, types and classification

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

On the shelves in grocery stores, along with the usual dairy products, you can also see powdered milk, which differs from the classic in its powdery consistency. This product has found application in various areas of cooking. It is often used to make bread, whole milk, and sausages. In the field of animal husbandry, this powder is used as animal feed. Many prefer to use this product due to the long shelf life of milk powder. Let's take a closer look at this product, as well as its storage features.

General Description

Before answering the question of what is the shelf life of powdered milk, it is necessary to understand in more detail what exactly this product is.

Dried milk is a dry concentrate (milkpowder) obtained from a simple pasteurized drink. The undoubted advantage of this product is that it eliminates various disadvantages of liquid milk. For example, milk powder has a much longer shelf life and is easier to transport to suppliers. In addition, milk powder retains its excellent composition, contains all the useful vitamins and nutrients necessary for the body.

Milky lumps made by the inhabitants of Siberia served as the prototype of this modern product. They freeze milk and get a concentrated product that has a long shelf life.

For the first time, milk powder, the expiration date of which will be described below, was obtained by the Russian doctor Krichevsky, who for a long time evaporated the liquid using a special technology, thanks to which all the beneficial properties of milk were preserved. A few decades later, this powder began to be used in cooking, as well as in the food industry. Now milk powder is included in the nutrition menu not only for adults, but also for children.

Classification

Powdered milk is divided into 2 types. It can be fat-free or whole in different fat content:

1. Dry whole (20 and 25% fat).
2. Skim milk powder.
3. Instant.
4. Milk for baby food production.

Fat-free

A subspecies of powdered milk is a dry skimmed product, which contains 25 times less fat in its composition. Thanks to its low fat content,The shelf life of skimmed milk powder is quite long. In addition, this powder does not require special storage conditions. When mixed with water, it becomes an instant product that is used by baristas to add to coffee.

Whole

High calorie content and long shelf life of whole milk powder are the distinguishing features of this product. Powdered milk is a cream-colored powder of a uniform consistency. This product is derived from cow's whole milk. It can be dissolved completely without sediment. As a rule, whole milk powder does not have any brown or yellow inclusions, it is easily rubbed between the fingers in the hands.

Product composition

What is this product made of that the shelf life of powdered milk according to GOST is so long? The classic version includes only pasteurized whole cow's milk. This raw material undergoes a complex 5-stage drying procedure and then homogenization, thus maintaining the original composition almost unchanged.

The finished powder contains a large amount of fats, proteins, lactose, vitamins, nutrients and trace elements. There are no additional components in the composition, for example, soy protein, starch, sugar. These products only worsen the taste and quality of milk powder.

What is the shelf life of powdered milk?

And now it is worth talking in more detail aboutshelf life of this product. If you follow the storage conditions correctly, then the shelf life of powdered milk in bags will be no more than 8 months. Skimmed milk powder in metal containers is stored for no more than 3 years.

You should also pay attention to the fact that the shelf life of powdered milk in open form will be less than in closed form. If the powder is kept in the heat, it will quickly deteriorate. For example, a dried product stored at an air temperature of 20 degrees can only be consumed for 30 days. Powder diluted in water can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The shelf life of vacuum-packed milk powder will be slightly longer after opening - approximately 7-8 months. It is best to store it on the shelf of the refrigerator. The shelf life of powdered milk in sealed glass containers will also be about 8 months. As for fat-free, it can be stored in a closed container for one year.

How is it made?

The production of this product is carried out in 5 stages at Russian factories. The raw material is fresh cow's milk, subject to the following changes:

1. First, normalization is carried out, during which the fat content is brought to an average value. For this purpose, the product is mixed with cream or less fat milk. This stage is necessary in order to achieve the correct ratio of fat content according to GOST.
2. The next step is pasteurization, which is the heating of raw materials. This process purifies milk fromvarious viruses and bacteria. Cow's milk is pasteurized for a short time, after which it is cooled to the required temperature.
3. Cooking or thickening. At this stage, the product is cooked, divided into fat-free and whole subspecies, for which the process differs in parameters and time. If you add sugar to milk at this stage, you can get condensed milk.
4. The next step is homogenization, which is a product of a homogeneous composition.
5. The final step in the manufacture of milk powder will be drying. During this procedure, the resulting liquid is thoroughly dried on a special apparatus until it turns into a powder without a single drop of moisture.

How to breed at home?

After purchasing the product in the store for subsequent preparation, it is necessary to observe the proportions of dilution of this powder. To restore powdered milk, you need to take three parts of plain water at a temperature of about 45 degrees, as well as one part of the powder. The liquid is introduced gradually, stirred thoroughly, then left for several minutes. So you can achieve a milky homogeneous consistency, as well as the dissolution of the proteins included in the product.

Helpful tips for breeding

Before you dilute your own milk powder with water at home, pay attention to a few useful tips:

1. It is undesirable to use cold water for these purposes, since the particles will not dissolve completely, they will begincrystallize and be strongly felt on the teeth.
2. Boiling water is also not suitable for diluting milk powder, as the product curdles in it.
3. It is mandatory that the liquid after dilution should be allowed to stand for a while, as this way you can achieve an optimal product, not watery and without lumps.
4. It is best not to use a mixer to stir, as it creates a lot of foam in the drink.
5. Dry powder is added to the water gently and gradually.
6. If you brew natural coffee at home and season it with powdered diluted milk, you get a very tasty drink.

Pancakes with powdered milk

A very popular dish among housewives are pancakes made with powdered milk. To prepare them, you need to take 1 liter of whole cow's milk, which can be easily obtained if 8 teaspoons of the dry product is diluted in one liter of warm water. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that it is necessary to add dry powder to the water, and not vice versa. Mix everything thoroughly, wait 15 minutes to achieve a homogeneous consistency.

Porridges with powdered milk

A very tasty breakfast will be porridge made on the basis of milk powder. To do this, you need to take 25 g of powdered milk, diluted in one glass of warm water. From this amount, about 250 ml of a reconstituted drink with a fat content of 2.5% is obtained. As a rule, this amount is enough to prepare one serving of porridge.

To make usefulbreakfast for four people, you need to take 120 g of powdered milk and 900 ml of warm water. Stir the ingredients continuously until the milk powder is completely dissolved in the water.

Benefits and harms

As mentioned earlier, the composition of powdered milk is not inferior to pasteurized natural product. It contains an element such as calcium, which is necessary for strengthening bones. It also contains potassium, which improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Vitamin A, which is part of the powdered milk, improves vision and overall skin he alth. In addition, this dry product is useful for rickets, as it contains a large amount of vitamin D. Other useful properties of milk powder are as follows:

1. The product is prescribed for anemia.
2. Potassium, which is part of powdered milk, normalizes the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
3. Phosphorus and magnesium work together to support overall he alth.
4. Choline protects human cells from damage.
5. Powdered milk is useful for diabetes, as well as gastroenterological diseases.
6. It contains a large amount of vitamin B12 and protein, which are so necessary for vegetarians or people who do not eat meat.
7. Powdered milk is well absorbed by the body and does not weigh down the digestive tract.
8. It does not contain bacteria, so there is no need to boil the product.
9. Powdered milk is a source of proteins that are essential for both adults and children.

WhatAs for the harm of powdered milk, it is not so obvious. The powder is not recommended for allergy sufferers, as well as people who have lactose intolerance. Also, this drink should not be drunk by those who have allergic reactions to the components of the product. Do not get carried away with powdered milk for those who have a tendency to gain weight. The fact is that the high energy value of powdered milk contributes to a rapid weight gain, which is then difficult to get rid of. Therefore, the product is not suitable for people who are on diets.

To summarize, we can say that powdered milk is much more convenient than liquid pasteurized. It retains almost the same composition, but it has a much longer shelf life and takes up less space.