Market Test of Dry Whole Milk: Nine Supermarkets, Lansdale, Pa., Area

Excerpts from the report Introduction: This limited study was conducted to determine whether a beverage-quality dry whole milk, when made available in retail stores, would be acceptable to consumers and to what degree acceptance was converted into retail sales. The dairy processing industry has recognized for many years that a good beverage-quality dry whole milk with an adequate shelf life would be desirable for market stabilization and increased consumption of dairy products. Both the dairy industry and Government have been seeking a method of producing this product, which will supplement present fluid milk markets. One result is a vacuum foam dry whole milk developed by engineers at USDA's Eastern Utilization Research and Development Division Laboratory near Philadelphia. In simple terms, the vacuum foam process is the drying of milk under nonoxidizing conditions and at low temperature; that is, under vacuum. Flavor scores for this product stored at 40° F. over a 60-week period indicated a relatively small drop in flavor in the first 3 to 4 weeks and then a stable flavor that remains at a palatable level for over a year. For purposes of a market test the vacuum foam dry whole milk was labeled and sold under the name "Dairy Fresh." The product was produced under pilot plant operation at the Eastern Utilization Research and Development Division