Demonstrates how lactose crystallization affects infant formula powder properties, suggesting methods for improved manufacturing.
ABSTRACT The powder characteristics of infant formula represent a focal point and a significant challenge in the dairy industry, as properties such as flowability and reconstitutability directly influence manufacturing efficiency and consumer experience. In this study, X-ray diffraction was employed to investigate changes in the crystalline lactose content of 2 commercial infant formulas under drying and humidification treatments. Furthermore, the effects of these treatments on powder flowability, compressibility, reconstitutability, and particle morphology were analyzed. The results demonstrated that humidification led to a substantial increase in lactose crystallinity, rising from 8% and 2% to 61% and 62%, respectively, alongside a significant increase in the volume fraction of coarse particles. The basic flowability energy decreased (from 1,300.67 mJ and 1,396.13 mJ to 618.53 mJ and 742.55 mJ), indicating improved powder flowability. Conversely, although compressive strength increased, the reconstitutability of the powder deteriorated. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the optimization of infant formula production processes by controlling lactose crystallization to enhance powder functionality.
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Liu et al. (2026) studied this question.
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