Method for the preparation of a powdered milk product

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING, WITHOUT REWETTING, AN ESSENTIALLY DRY MILK POWDER HAVING ESSENTIALLY ALL OF ITS MASS IN THE FORM OF AGGLOMERATED PRIMARY SPRAYDRIED PARTICLES, AND POSSESSING ESSENTIALLY COMPLETE SOLUBILITY, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF RAPIDLY MOVING DROPLETS OF LACTOSE SEEDED MILK CONCENTRATE FORMED BY SPRAYING A MILK CONCENTRATE CONTAINING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LACTOSE SEED CRYSTALS, THROUGH AN ATMOSPHERE OF HOT DRYING GAS, PROVIDING A TEMPERATURE FOR SAID GAS IN RELATION TO THE LACTOSE SEED CONTENT OF SUCH DROPTRATE THAT WILL REDUCE THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SUCH DROPLETS TO FROM 10% TO 18% AT A TIME DURING SAID DRYING PROCEDURE WHEN BOTH CRYSTALLINE LACTOSE AND NON-CRYSTALLINE LACTOSE ARE PRESENT IN SAID DROPLETS, INTERMINGLING THE PARTICLES PRODUCED FROM SAID DROPLETS TO BRING ADJACENT PARTICLES IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER DURING THE PERIOD WHEN MOISTURE CONTENT THEREOF IS BETWEEN 10% AND 18%, THEREBY CAUSING ESSENTIALLY ALL FO THE PARTICLE MASS TO BECOME FIRMLY ASSOCIATED INTO AGGLOMERATES OF PARTICLES BONDED TO EACH OTHER BY THE TACKINESS OF THE NON-CRYSTALLINE LACTOSE PRESENT THEREIN, AND, WHILE THE PARTICLES ARE SO BONDED, REMOVING ADDITIONAL MOISTURE THEREFROM TO BELOW SUBSTANTIALLY 5% AND THEREBY STRENGTHENING SAID BONDS AND PRODUCING A DRY MILK POWDER COMPOSED OF AGGLOMERATED PARTICLES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING, WITHOUT REWETTING, AN ESSENTIALLY DRY MILK POWDER HAVING ESSENTIALLY ALL OF ITS MASS IN THE FORM OF AGGLOMERATED PRIMARY SPRAYDRIED PARTICLES, AND POSSESSING ESSENTIALLY COMPLETE SOLUBILITY, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF RAPIDLY MOVING DROPLETS OF LACTOSE SEEDED MILK CONCENTRATE FORMED BY SPRAYING A MILK CONCENTRATE CONTAINING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LACTOSE SEED CRYSTALS, THROUGH AN ATMOSPHERE OF HOT DRYING GAS, PROVIDING A TEMPERATURE FOR SAID GAS IN RELATION TO THE LACTOSE SEED CONTENT OF SUCH DROPTRATE THAT WILL REDUCE THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SUCH DROPLETS TO FROM 10% TO 18% AT A TIME DURING SAID DRYING PROCEDURE WHEN BOTH CRYSTALLINE LACTOSE AND NON-CRYSTALLINE LACTOSE ARE PRESENT IN SAID DROPLETS, INTERMINGLING THE PARTICLES PRODUCED FROM SAID DROPLETS TO BRING ADJACENT PARTICLES IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER DURING THE PERIOD WHEN MOISTURE CONTENT THEREOF IS BETWEEN 10% AND 18%, THEREBY CAUSING ESSENTIALLY ALL FO THE PARTICLE MASS TO BECOME FIRMLY ASSOCIATED INTO AGGLOMERATES OF PARTICLES BONDED TO EACH OTHER BY THE TACKINESS OF THE NON-CRYSTALLINE LACTOSE PRESENT THEREIN, AND, WHILE THE PARTICLES ARE SO BONDED, REMOVING ADDITIONAL MOISTURE THEREFROM TO BELOW SUBSTANTIALLY 5% AND THEREBY STRENGTHENING SAID BONDS AND PRODUCING A DRY MILK POWDER COMPOSED OF AGGLOMERATED PARTICLES.