MILK POWDER.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 24, Issue 17, 4 March 1913, Page 7

MILK POWDER.

The first account of powdered milk is found in Marco Polo’s report of his travels in Tartary in the interior of Asia. In about the , year 1290 he found the Tartars drying milk in the sun, pulverising it into powder and placing it in sacks to- be carried into the territory of their enemies. Although their, methods were crude, the undoubtedly prepared a food which could not be excelled for their purpose, as dried milk contains more nourishment, pound forpound, than any other food which can be produced at a reasonable cost ; and Is, in fact, an ideal food for fighting men, as well as for infants. The first' successful vacuum process for the manufacture of powdered milk was invented by Dr. Martin Bkeh berg, a Swedish scientist. A heated drum is suspended in a cylinder shell. A vacuum is maintained in this chamber by means of an air-pump. A constant flpw of milk is drawn into the shall through pipes and sprayed upon the surface of the drum. The moisture is quickly removed through a, condenser, the milk drying instantly upon the surface of the drum at a low temperature. A system Of knives cuts the dry milk film from the drum and it falls Into a separate chamber, from which it is removed into the air without the loss of vacuum, by a series of air gates. This film has the appearance of yellowish white ribbons, and these ribbons are fed to a mill, which quickly reduces them to a fine, . white powder. The powder is packed in containers -of various shapes and sizes, add is ready for the market.