Why does milk powder clump? Does milk powder clump mean it has gone bad?

Milk powder is the baby's staple food. Parents are very careful when choosing milk powder. They usually buy milk powder with a good reputation and richer nutrition. Sometimes milk powder is found to be clumping. So why does milk powder clump?

Why does milk powder clump?

During the compression and transportation process, milk powder may clump due to collision, condensation and the presence of a certain amount of water in the milk powder itself, but these clumps will disperse with a slight vibration and shaking, and are easily soluble in water, so it is still drinkable. If the milk powder clumps are large and hard, difficult to break up and difficult to dissolve, it is because the milk powder contains lactose, which easily absorbs water and condenses. This may be because the milk powder was not sealed well before opening or was stored in a humid place after opening, causing the milk powder to become damp, deteriorate or expired. In this case, do not drink it.

Is the milk powder lumpy?

Spoiled milk powder will clump, but not all clumping milk powder is spoiled. Some milk powder will clump slightly due to vibration during transportation. After opening the package, it can be directly dispersed by gently shaking. There will be no obvious granules after being properly prepared. Such clumping is a normal phenomenon and does not affect the nutritional value of the milk powder. You can continue to feed your child. If the milk powder is opened and placed in the refrigerator for a long time, or stored in other overly humid environments, the milk powder will absorb too much water and clump. Such clumping milk powder is spoiled milk powder. The nutrients in it are obviously lost, the nutritional value decreases, and it is no longer suitable for feeding children.

How to deal with milk powder agglomeration

White sugar can help the milk powder dissolve completely. When making milk powder, you can add a small amount of white sugar. Before adding water, stir the white sugar and milk powder evenly, and then add an appropriate amount of water. At this time, the milk powder can be completely washed away without leaving lumps. Milk powder is rich in protein. When protein encounters high heat, it will condense into "protein lumps", which are the "small milk lumps" we usually see. When sugar dissolves, it needs to absorb a lot of heat. When it is completely dissolved, it will greatly reduce the water temperature. When the water temperature is lowered, the protein will not condense into "small milk lumps", that is, it can be completely dissolved.

Production method of milk powder

Some designs use vacuum evaporators to condense milk into cakes first, and then dry and powder them; some designs spread the initially concentrated milk on a heated roller, peel off the thin milk film formed, and then powder it. But the best way to make milk powder is the spray method invented by American Percy in 1877. This method is to first vacuum concentrate the milk to 1/4 of its original volume to become concentrated milk, and then spray it into a drying room with hot air in the form of mist. After dehydration, it becomes powder, and then quickly cools and sieves it, and then it can be packaged as a finished product. This method is still used today. Its birth promoted the great development of the milk powder manufacturing industry in the early 20th century.