Variations in milk powder composition due to historical manufacturing techniques and equipment reveal the evolution of dairy products.
This breakthrough will allow researchers to investigate possible changes in the nutritional content of milk over time.
Rose Turner walks through a store with her son, Robert Chase, looking for baby formula and money to buy it in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2022. The United States is suffering from a shortage of infant formula. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Exploring the evolution of milk
Recent comparative studies have delved into the historical background of milk production and demonstrated the enduring importance of milk as a staple food in human nutrition, despite advances in agricultural practices and husbandry methods.
The findings highlight the striking similarities between historical and modern milk and highlight the continued relevance of milk in maintaining the human diet. This analysis was made possible by the unearthing of his milk powder dating back to 1907, which had been preserved during an Antarctic expedition in search of the South Pole.
The study, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, was carried out by a team at the Fonterra Research and Development Center in New Zealand and provides valuable insight into the evolution of dairy products and their nutritional impact.
Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition
Ernest Shackleton embarks on the British Antarctic expedition aboard the Nimrod to achieve the historic milestone of setting foot on the South Pole.
The expedition, which departed from Littleton, New Zealand, on New Year’s Day 1908, was loaded with dairy rations, including two cases of cheese, 1,000 pounds of dried whole milk powder, and 192 pounds of butter.
With the harbor swarming with well-wishers, Shackleton and his crew set sail, coming closer to the North Pole than any previous expedition, less than 100 nautical miles before setting up base camp.
During this project, which took place a century after Shackleton’s expedition, researchers stumbled upon a container of Defiance brand whole milk powder. This milk powder was stored frozen at Shackleton Base Camp for an astonishing 100 years.
Skerto G. Annemal, lead researcher at the Fonterra Research and Development Center in New Zealand, provided insight into the process used to make powdered milk in the early 20th century.
He explained that before the advent of modern vacuum-assisted evaporation technology, milk powder was typically manufactured through a roller drying process. In this process, heated with steam, he pours boiling hot milk between two rotating cylinders, causing the water to evaporate.
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The result was a thin sheet of powdered milk, which was crushed and sieved to obtain a powder. They conducted a thorough analysis and compared various aspects of whole milk powder samples, including composition, microstructure, and volatile components.
Surprisingly, despite more than a century of separation between samples, minimal changes in bulk and detailed composition were observed. In particular, genetic similarities were found in proteins, fats, and phospholipids. However, the volatile compounds associated with oxidation were different, probably due to long-term storage in open cans.
The research team acknowledges the striking similarities, but highlights the significant advances in quality of modern spray-dried whole milk powder. These improvements are particularly noticeable in properties such as enhanced appearance and ability to seamlessly dissolve in water.
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