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Dairy Science Information

Dairy Science Information

Reference resources for dairy processing & manufacturing

Reference resources and technical information on dairy processing, manufacturing and quality control — covering pasteurisation, separation, evaporation, drying, cheese making, yoghurt, butter, ice cream and milk powder.

Compiled by Watson Dairy Consulting as a freely-available reference for dairy industry professionals, students and anyone seeking technical grounding in dairy science.

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Practical dairy science and processing information for dairy manufacturers, project teams, students, technical staff and managers looking for clear dairy manufacturing references.

The resources below cover major dairy process areas including butter, cheese, milk powder, evaporation, spray drying, UHT, pasteurisation, membrane filtration, yogurt, infant formula, standardisation, factory design and dairy quality control.

Dairy Processing and Manufacturing Resources

The dairy industry is developing rapidly in the science of fractionation, processing, concentration, drying, separation and adding value to milk and dairy products. These pages provide practical links into key dairy science and manufacturing topics.

Buttermaking, AMF and Butteroil

Butter production, anhydrous milk fat, butteroil processing and related manufacturing information.

Evaporation and Spray Drying

Milk evaporation, spray drying, powder production and drying process information.

Cheese

Cheese production, starter cultures, automated production, batch production and specialist cheese processes.

Dairy Chemistry

Milk constituents, dairy chemistry, product functionality and processing behaviour.

Homogenisation

Milk homogenisation, homogenisers, product texture, emulsion control and processing effects.

Infant Formula Milk Powder

Infant formula milk powder processing, powder handling, drying and specialist production considerations.

Ice Cream

Ice cream production, factory design considerations and frozen dairy product processing.

Ice Cream Formulation Calculator

Free mix solver: back-calculates cream, milk, SMP, sugar and stabiliser to your fat, MSNF and total-solids targets, then computes freezing point, scoop firmness, overrun and cost per litre.

Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt processing, formulation, manufacturing and product development information.

Milk and Cream

Milk and cream processing, separation, standardisation and dairy product handling.

Membrane Filtration

Ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, microfiltration, whey filtration and milk fractionation processes.

Pasteurisation

Milk pasteurisation, heat treatment, food safety, process control and dairy plant operation.

Quality Control

Dairy quality control, testing, product standards, laboratory checks and process assurance.

Milk Separators

Milk separation, cream separation, separators, bactofugation and process equipment information.

UHT Milk

Ultra heat treatment, UHT milk processing, aseptic systems and heat treatment considerations.

Yogurt Manufacturing

Yogurt process information, cultures, fermentation, formulation and manufacturing support.

Soft Cheese and Enzyme Modified Cheese

Soft cheese, cream cheese, enzyme modified cheese and processed cheese-related information.

Additional Technical and Practical Resources

These additional resources support practical dairy manufacturing decisions, including standardisation, factory planning, benchmarking and project review.

Milk Fat Standardisation / Pearson’s Square Calculator

Practical standardisation tool for calculating blend ratios and adjusting fat content in dairy products.

Yogurt / Yoghurt Production Process

Specific yogurt and yoghurt production process information for fermented dairy product manufacturing.

Milk Reception Design

Milk reception, tanker handling, sampling, metering, CIP and raw milk intake design considerations.

Dairy Factory Design & Feasibility

Factory design, process flow, plant layout, utilities, feasibility studies, project planning and commissioning for dairy manufacturing projects.

Dairy Factory Benchmarking

Factory benchmarking, KPI review and operational performance comparison for dairy manufacturing sites.

Milk Price Forecasting

Dairy business and milk price resource supporting market, commodity and planning assumptions.

Complete Topic Index

A comprehensive index of all dairy science information pages, grouped by subject area. Use this index to find specific technical references quickly.

Note: these resources are provided for general technical information only. Dairy process design, product safety, regulatory compliance and factory decisions should be reviewed against the specific product, site, equipment, jurisdiction and customer requirements.

Downloadable Dairy Reference Documents

The following reference documents and specifications are provided for general guidance (sample only, not for use as approved specifications):

Dairy Science FAQs

What is the difference between pasteurisation and UHT?
Both are heat treatments, but they differ in temperature, time and result. Pasteurisation uses a milder treatment (commonly around 72 degrees C for 15 seconds) to kill harmful bacteria while keeping the milk fresh, giving a chilled product with a shelf life of days. UHT (ultra heat treatment) heats the milk far hotter (around 135 to 150 degrees C for a few seconds) to make it commercially sterile, so in an aseptic pack it keeps at ambient temperature for months.
What is homogenisation and why is milk homogenised?
Homogenisation forces milk under high pressure through a small gap to break the fat globules into much smaller, uniform droplets. This stops the cream separating and rising to the top, and gives a smoother, more consistent texture and mouthfeel. It is widely used for drinking milk, yogurt milk bases and many other dairy products.
How is milk turned into milk powder?
Milk is first concentrated by evaporation, which removes most of the water under vacuum at gentle temperatures, and is then spray dried, where the concentrate is sprayed into a hot air chamber and dries almost instantly into a fine powder. The same principles, with tighter control and added nutrients, are used for infant formula powder.
What cultures are used to make yogurt?
True yoghurt is made with a symbiotic culture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, as defined in the international Codex standard for fermented milks. You can read more on our yogurt factory design and frozen yogurt pages.
What does a milk separator do?
A milk separator is a high-speed centrifuge that splits whole milk into cream and skimmed milk by spinning it so the lighter fat moves inward and the heavier skimmed milk outward. Separators are also used to standardise fat content and, with bactofugation, to remove bacteria and spores.
What is membrane filtration used for in dairy?
Membrane filtration separates the components of milk and whey by size using membranes. Microfiltration removes bacteria and separates proteins, ultrafiltration concentrates protein, nanofiltration partially demineralises, and reverse osmosis concentrates by removing water. It is central to modern protein standardisation, whey processing and milk fractionation.
How do you standardise the fat content of milk?
Fat is standardised by blending higher-fat and lower-fat streams (such as cream and skimmed milk) to a target fat content. The simple blend ratio can be worked out with the Pearson's Square method, and our Pearson's Square calculator does the arithmetic for you.
What is anhydrous milk fat (AMF)?
Anhydrous milk fat (AMF), or butteroil, is milk fat with almost all the water and non-fat solids removed, giving a concentrated, stable fat used in recombined dairy products, chocolate, bakery and ice cream. It is made from butter or cream by separating and concentrating the fat phase.
Can Watson Dairy Consulting help with a specific dairy process?
Yes. Watson Dairy Consulting provides independent, experienced support across the whole dairy sector – from factory design and process selection to troubleshooting, product development and operator training. Contact us to discuss your specific process or project.

Need practical dairy manufacturing support? Please contact Watson Dairy Consulting to discuss dairy process design, technical review, factory troubleshooting, product development or operational improvement requirements.

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