COMMERCIAL MILK PRODUCTS

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

Raw Materials

I. DESCRIPTION

Sweetened condensed milk is basically concentrated milk by

evaporationn, to which sugar (sucrose) has been added to form an

[2]
almost saturated solution, after which it is canned. The product is

[1]
yellowish in color and high viscous. The turbidity of the product is

[2]
largely due to lactose crystals because of supersaturation. The high

sugar concentration in sweetened condensed milk increases the osmotic

pressure to such a level that most of the microorganisms are destroyed.

This product is not heat treated after packaging as its high sugar content

preserves it for a long shelf life. The sugar concentration in the water

phase must not be less than 62.5 % or more than 64.5 %. At the latter

level, the sugar solution reaches its saturation point and some sugar may

[1]
then crystallize, forming a sediment.

Sweetened condensed milk can be made from whole milk or skim milk, or

recombined condensed milk – based on skim milk powder, anhydrous

milk fat (AMF) and water. The main focus of this is the recombined

sweet condensed milk (SCM), which is the most widely manufactured

commercial condensed milk worldwide. Here, part or all of the milk solids

can be derived from milk powder and anhydrous milk fat, if the

[3]
availability of fresh milk is limited. Although the raw material is not
 really from fresh milk, as with the traditional ones, properties of this

product need not be materially different from those of the product made

from fresh milk. Recombined SCM is often made using vegetable fat

instead of milk fat; this is usually labeled ‘filled’ SCM, but sometimes only

[3]
by a trade name.

II. RAW MATERIALS

The following table shows the basic composition of recombined sweetened

[2]
condensed milk depending on American and British Standards.

American Standard British Standard

Fat content, % 8 9
Milk solids non fat, % 20 22
Lactose, % 10.3 11.4
Sucrose, % 45 43.5
Water, % 27 25.5
Lactose, g/100 g 38.3 44.6
water
Sucrose, g/100 g 167 171
water
Mass concentration 4.6 5
ratio

Some additives are also added and will be discussed further.

INGREDIENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS:

1. Fat (milk fat substitute)

As said, recombined SCM uses a mixture of anhydrous milk fat (AMF), milk

solids non-fat (MSNF), and water.

a. Anhydrous Milk Fat (AMF)

 By removing the water phase from butter, milk fat could be stored for a

considerably longer period of time without significant loss of quality.

Nowadays, milk fat has acquired a certain market share as a raw material

for the confectionery and bakery industries, due to its unique organoleptic

properties and its image as a natural ingredient. However, AMF has

disadvantages which limit its consumption and its use. Among these are

negative health aspects due to its high concentration of saturated fatty

acids and cholesterol and its high price compared to vegetable fats.

Furthermore, the chemical composition of milk fat varies across different

regions and seasons. These natural fluctuations, primarily due to feeding

practices, result in milk fats with different physicochemical properties. In

addition, the functionality of milk fat is often worse than that of vegetable

fats such as margarines, restricting the potential use of milk fat in

[5]
different food products.

However, AMF is commonly replaced by vegetable oils due to its

disadvantages.

b. Vegetable Oils as substitute for milk fat

 Palm oil

It is the most common fat used in filled SCM, because of its local

[3]
abundance and low price. It gives a good-quality product.

 Coconut fat

It was frequently used in the past, but is less suitable, owing to its high

content of lauric acid, which has a very low flavor threshold, so that even
 very low residual lipase activity may impart a soapy taste to the product.

[3]

Other source of fat content is corn oil. Some products in the market use

a mixture of different vegetable oils. The chemical and physical properties

of such oils will affect how they can be used in the formulation and

manufacture of foods.

2. Milk solids, non-fat

They are an important ingredient for the following beneficial reasons:

- improve the texture, due to the protein functionality

- help to give body and chew resistance to the finished product

- are capable of allowing a higher overrun without the characteristic

snowy or flaky textures associated with high overrun, due also to the

protein functionality

[6]
- may be a cheap source of total solids

a. Skim milk

- A satisfactory source is concentrated liquid skim milk, obtained by

vacuum evaporation to give a total solids content of 25-35%. Because

this is not normally a sterilized product, it has to be used rapidly and

requires refrigerated storage.

- Spray-dried skim milk powder is the most widely used millk product

and this excellent ingredient is used to either provide the whole of

MSNF or increase the MSNF content of liquid whole milk or skim milk.

It also has long shelf life. [4]

b. Buttermilk powder
 Another good alternative may be the use of buttermilk powder, which can

replace 50% of the skim milk powder. It can be kept for several weeks to

a few months depending on the storage conditions, moisture content, and

[4]
initial quality.

c. Milk powder replacers

It has recently become common practice to replace the use of skim milk

powder or condensed skim with a variety of milk powder replacers, which

are blends of whey protein concentrates, caseinates, and whey powders.

These are formulated with less protein than skim powder, usually 20-25%

protein, and thus less cost, but are blended with an appropriate balance

of whey proteins and caseins to do an adequate job. Caution must be

exercised in excessive use of these powders because it has more lactose

than skim milk powder, about 74% compared to 50% which may cause a

[6]
sandy mouthfeel.

3. Sucrose

Sweetened condensed milk has an extended shelf-life due to the addition of

sugar. Sucrose, in the form of crystals or solution, increases the osmotic

pressure of the liquid. This in turn, prevents the growth of microorganisms.

Sugar is generally considered to be sucrose, but a combination of sucrose

with other sugars may be used, at a concentration that assures the keeping

quality of the product. The sucrose content in industrial practice is calculated

as the sucrose/(sucrose-water) ratio, and should be about 62.5%, giving a

[3]
sucrose content of about 45% for full fat SCM.

4. Lactose
 It is allowed to adjust the percentage of protein in the MSNF to any value

above 34% and this can be done by adding milk ultrafiltration permeate or

[3]
retentate, or lactose.

5. Water

The product contains only about 27% water, so the concentration factor of

[3]
milk solids relative to water is very high, about 7.3.

6. Emulsifier (Lecithin)

Emulsifiers have water loving (hydrophilic) and oil loving (hydrophobic)

regions that allow the two immiscible ingredients like water and oil to join.

The emulsifiers in the product keep all of the liquids mixed smoothly.

7. Stabilizers

Permitted stabilizers for sweetened condensed milk are usually specified as

sodium, potassium, and calcium salts of:

• hydrochloric acid;

• citric acid;

• carbonic acid;

• orthophosphoric acid;

• polyphosphoric acid.

Usually, trisodium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate and disodium

phosphates are used.

8. Thickener (Carrageenan)

They are extracted from red seaweeds and are used as thermo-reversible

gelling agents and thickening agents. It is also used to regulate the viscosity

[3]
of the product.
 9. Vitamins

Some vitamins such as Vitamin A, B1, and E are added to fortify the

condensed milk.

REFERENCES:

[1] Bylund Gösta. (2015). Dairy processing handbook. Lund: Tetra Pak Processing

Systems AB.

[2] Walstra, P., Geurts, T. J., & Wouters, J. T. M. (2006). Dairy science and

technology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

[3] Nieuwenhuijse, H. (2016). Concentrated Dairy Products: Sweetened Condensed

Milk. Reference Module in Food Science. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.00697-

1 

[4] Robinson, R. K. (2005). Dairy microbiology handbook the microbiology of milk

and milk products. S.l.: Wiley InterScience.

[5] Corredig, M. (2009). Dairy-derived ingredients: food and nutraceutical uses.

Boca Raton: CRC Press.

[6] Milk Solids Non Fat. Retrieved from https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/book-

page/milk-solids-not-fat on April 6, 2020