Large Research Project on Nutritional Value of Milk Powder
Netherlands-based Van Hall Larenstein University and NIZO food research have commenced a large research project on the possibilities to increase the nutritional value of milk powder. In the next four years, two dairy professors and a PhD student at Van Hall Larenstein will cooperate with experts of NIZO food research in Ede to determine the key processing steps that affect the nutritional value of milk powders. The research is partly financed by the Dutch Dairy Chain program.
Milk powders produced in the Netherlands are among the best milk powders in the world, both in microbial safety as well as nutritional value. In addition to the composition of the milk powder, the quality is highly dependent on the production process, eg equipment used and process conditions.
To gain more insight into the effect of the (production) process on the nutritional value of milk powder, professor Peter de Jong and Anne Schaafsma from Van Hall Larenstein have initiated a research project which should result in a computer model that simulates the nutritional value of proteins in milk powder as function of process design and conditions. Simulations with the model will help to control and optimize the nutritional value of milk powder. The project is supported by dairy companies FrieslandCampina and Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods. NIZO will assist in model development and experimental set-up.
