Frontline Food Consultants and Engineers, are dedicated to helping you produce high-quality skimmed milk that meets consumer expectations for low-fat dairy options. Skimmed milk processing involves removing the cream from whole milk to create a product with reduced fat content while maintaining essential nutrients. Our decades of industry experience and expertise ensure that your skimmed milk is both nutritious and appealing to health-conscious consumers.

Our Technological Support focuses on the key processes of cream separation and milk standardization, which are essential for achieving the desired fat content in skimmed milk. We also Quality Assurance and Quality Control Programs along with Waste Reduction and Management Strategies, optimising these processes to ensure consistency and quality. The  Process Improvement services streamline the production workflow, from cream separation to pasteurization and packaging. Due to this, the efficiency and nutritional integrity of the milk is maintained throughout.

We also provide Regulatory Compliance & Documentation services so that your skimmed milk meets all necessary safety and quality standards. This includes licenses, documentation, approvals, and particularly in areas like fat content labeling and microbial safety. We also, assist you in collaborating with other third-party manufacturers to scale up productions. 

What is Skimmed Milk Processing?

Skimmed milk processing involves reducing the fat content of whole milk by removing the cream. The process begins with the separation of cream from the milk,  using a centrifugal cream separator. This machine spins the milk at high speed, causing the cream (which is less dense) to separate from the skimmed milk. The skimmed milk is then collected and may be standardized to ensure a consistent fat content across batches.

After separation, the skimmed milk undergoes pasteurization, where it is heated to eliminate harmful bacteria and ensure safety. Pasteurization is a critical step that also helps extend the shelf life of the milk. Following pasteurization, the skimmed milk is cooled and packaged in sterile containers to maintain freshness and prevent contamination.

Throughout the process, careful control of temperature and processing conditions is essential to preserving the nutritional quality of the milk, including its protein and calcium content. By effectively managing these steps, you can produce skimmed milk that is low in fat, high in nutrition and meets the expectations of health-conscious consumers.

Production Process of Skilled Milk

  1. Separation:
    • Process: Fresh whole milk is subjected to centrifugal separation to remove the cream.
    • Equipment: Centrifuge
    • Objective: To reduce the fat content to less than 0.5%.
  2. Homogenization:
    • Process: The skimmed milk is homogenized to break down the fat molecules, ensuring a uniform consistency.
    • Equipment: Homogenizer
    • Temperature: 60-70°C (140-158°F)
    • Pressure: 15-20 MPa (MegaPascal)
    • Objective: Prevent cream from separating, resulting in a stable emulsion.
  3. Pasteurization:
    • Process: The homogenized milk is pasteurized to eliminate harmful microorganisms.
    • Equipment: Plate Heat Exchanger or Continuous Flow Pasteurizer
    • Temperature and Time:
      • High-Temperature Short Time (HTST): 72°C (161°F) for 15 seconds
      • Ultra-High Temperature (UHT): 135-150°C (275-302°F) for 2-5 seconds
    • Objective: Ensure the milk is safe for consumption and extend its shelf life.
  4. Cooling:
    • Process: The pasteurized milk is rapidly cooled to preserve its freshness and prevent bacterial growth.
    • Equipment: Cooling System or Chiller
    • Temperature: 4°C (39°F)
    • Objective: Maintain quality and extend shelf life.
  5. Storage:
    • Process: The cooled skimmed milk is stored in sterile, sealed containers.
    • Equipment: Storage Tanks and Packaging Machines
    • Temperature: 4°C (39°F)
    • Objective: Ensure product safety and quality until it reaches consumers.

Summary

  • Separation: Centrifuge, <0.5% fat.
  • Homogenization: 60-70°C, 15-20 MPa.
  • Pasteurization: HTST: 72°C for 15 sec, UHT: 135-150°C for 2-5 sec.
  • Cooling: Rapid cooling to 4°C.
  • Storage: Sterile, sealed containers at 4°C.