Milk powder (Nonfat dry milk)
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Every diet
It is dried milk.
From halal-slaughtered animals.
Dairy is kosher, though the equipment has to be as well.
A cup of nonfat milk powder carries about 12 grams of carbohydrate, most of it lactose.
Low FODMAP in the small amounts used in recipes.
Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.
Rules by country
Milk powder is a food with no E-number, so it is not assessed as an additive. It is covered by the milk standards in each country and by the allergen rules that apply to milk in the US, the EU, Canada and Australia.
What is it?
Spray drying sprays milk into hot air and the droplets turn to powder instantly, which keeps the protein largely undamaged and gives a fine, easily dissolved powder. Roller drying is older and gives a heavier powder with a cooked flavor. Nonfat dry milk has most of the fat and about half the water removed, so a kilogram of it is roughly 12 liters of skim milk.
Where it comes from: Milk with most of the water removed, either by spray drying into a fine powder or by roller drying onto a heated drum. What is left behind is the protein, lactose, minerals and whatever fat was not taken out first.
Why it’s in food
- Baking
- Chocolate making
- Ice cream
- Powdered drinks
- Protein bars
Often found in
Also listed as: Milk powder, Nonfat dry milk, Skim milk powder, Dried milk, Nonfat milk solids, Milk solids
Health & gut impact
Drying removes the water but not the lactose, so the lactose per 100 grams of powder is much higher than in liquid milk. A couple of spoonfuls in a recipe is a small amount, but a full serving of powdered drink is not.
EFSA, dietary reference values for carbohydrate (2011)
Milk powder concentrates the protein and the calcium rather than removing them, which is why it is used to lift the nutrition of a baked good without changing the recipe.
USDA FoodData Central, nonfat dry milk
The protein and lactose in milk powder react with sugar during baking, which is what gives bread crust and biscuits their color and their deeper flavor. It is also why the same recipe tastes different with and without it.
Damodaran, food chemistry of the Maillard reaction
What can I use instead?
Ratio: Use roughly one part for one part in most applications
Best for: Protein lift in baking
Ratio: Use half the volume and add water to replace the solids
Best for: Creaminess without dairy
Related
More dairy:
Common questions
Is milk powder vegan?
No. It is dried milk, and it appears on labels as milk solids, skim milk powder or nonfat dry milk, all of which are the same thing in different words.
Is milk powder less healthy than fresh milk?
It is the same milk with the water taken out. Nothing is added and most of the nutrients survive, though the vitamin content falls with the fat and vitamins that are left with it.
Is milk powder full of sugar?
No. It contains the natural lactose of milk, which is about half the weight of the powder, but no added sugar. Sweetened powdered drinks mix in extra sugar on top of that.
Is Milk powder safe?
Use in moderation (70/100). Milk powder is a food with no E-number, so it is not assessed as an additive. It is covered by the milk standards in each country and by the allergen rules that apply to milk in the US, the EU, Canada and Australia.
Is Milk powder vegan?
No. It is dried milk.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- EFSA, dietary reference values for carbohydrate (2011)
- USDA FoodData Central, nonfat dry milk
- Damodaran, food chemistry of the Maillard reaction