General overview of the market for the production of milk powder
Nowadays, many have already forgotten what constitutes such a wonderful concentrate as milk powder, and those who start their own business do not even consider its production as an option.
Such a phenomenon is as sad as it is in vain. Currently, there are very few producers of milk powder left in Russia, and in some regions it even represents a certain shortage, or at least a product that is not so easy to get.
In fact, this product is used much more often than it seems. For example, milk powder is used for the manufacture of many natural cosmetics, for the production of reconstituted milk in regions whose conditions do not allow them to be supplied with fresh milk, for the manufacture of many confectionery and bakery products, as well as for canning, as an additive for animal nutrition, etc. ., so there should be no problems with sales.
And if you open a business for the production of milk powder in the region where there is a situation of shortage of this product, then a "full house" is provided with any quantity of your products.
The milk powder business does not require large investments at all, the raw materials for production are for the most part very cheap (as a rule, the most inexpensive low-fat milk is used - it’s simply impractical to transfer a good product to milk powder), and the requirements of GOST and other regulatory documents are quite moderate and non-rigid.
In addition, this type of business has a good prospect of developing into a full-fledged dairy plant, which produces the whole range of products: acidophilus, varenets, yogurt, kefir, reverse, buttermilk, yogurt, fermented baked milk, condensed milk, cream, butter, sour cream, whey, cheese, cottage cheese, baked milk and much more.
It is also possible to organize the production of dry infant formula. In addition, equipment for the production of milk powder can be used for drying other liquid food products - egg mass, whole blood and its components (serum and formed elements), broths, hydrolysates, extracts, etc. - so the development prospects are quite broad.
In addition, the prospects for expanding milk powder production and entering the international market are great: for example, in the USA and Canada skimmed milk powder is sold for about $ 3400-3600 per ton, in Australia for $ 3600-4100, and in Europe the price is about $ 3200- 3500. And this is just nonfat.
Milk of standard “trading" fat content (26%) is even more expensive - up to approximately $ 5000. And in Russia, milk powder prices are quite low: from about 4300 to 6200 rubles. per ton (25% fat, according to domestic standards - dry cream), although it fully pays for production, providing a profitability of 30-40%.
Premises and equipment for the production of milk powder
The room for the production of milk powder must comply with current sanitary and construction standards. It is mandatory that there is a water supply system with drinking and industrial water, heating devices of any type, sewage, electrical wiring with voltage of both 220 and 380 volts.
In addition, the production room itself is provided with ventilation hoods, and walls and floors are faced with ceramic tiles, plastic and other easily washable materials. The same requirements (with the exception of heating and water supply) apply to storage facilities.
The equipment for the production of milk powder itself is a special drying unit consisting of several units: a high-pressure pump, a drying chamber itself, equipped with an electric or steam heater (or gas heat generator), a storage hopper, a sifter and a packaging line.
In addition to the above, additional units are connected to the line - recuperators, cyclones, fans, screw and other conveyors, etc.
Milk powder production technology
The technological process for the production of milk powder includes the following stages: acceptance and preparation of raw materials, cleaning and normalization, pasteurization with subsequent cooling, condensation in a vacuum evaporator, homogenization, spray drying and packaging itself.
Accepted raw milk is heated to a temperature of 35-40 ° C and sent to a milk cleaner - a special filter that filters the milk and discards foreign matter (grass, dirt, sand, etc.).
Primary heating is done to more easily mix milk with different organoleptic characteristics - fat content, density, etc. Then normalization occurs - the establishment of the required technology fat content. To do this, part of the whole milk is sent to a special cream separator to obtain separately skim milk and cream.
The normalized mixture is sent to a pasteurization unit, where it is heated depending on the chosen pasteurization scheme: up to 63-65 ° C for 30-40 minutes. (long pasteurization), up to 85-90 ° C for 0.5-1 minutes. (short pasteurization) or up to 98 ° C in a few seconds (instant pasteurization).
This process is used to disinfect milk. Pasteurized milk is cooled and enters the storage tank (tank), and from it - in certain quantities to a vacuum - evaporation unit, where it is concentrated to a mass fraction of solids of 40%.
Then, the condensed milk is sent for homogenization - the process of giving the mass a uniform consistency. From the equalization tank, the condensed normalized mixture is fed into the drying chamber by a metering pump.
Dry milk powder enters the storage hopper, from where it is fed for packaging into containers, after passing through screening.
Cost of equipment for the production of milk powder
Now there are many offers on the market for selling a ready-made business - a milk processing plant for dry milk with additional equipment for the production of cheese, kefir and other products will cost about 55 million rubles.
A separate vacuum-evaporation plant costs from 3.5 to 10 million rubles. depending on the capacity, year of manufacture, manufacturer and other characteristics - of course, additional equipment must be purchased for it - coolers and heaters, analyzers, pasteurizers, tanks, filters, etc.
In principle, the acquisition of a turnkey business, ready-made, is justified: the local plant, as a rule, has connections with the raw material base - farms and dairy farms; buyers - the same local consumers of milk powder and, for example, confectionery factories.
The issue of marketing finished products through a regional distribution network — markets, supermarkets and chain stores — is easily resolved. Another thing is that, as a rule, the whole factory is sold for a reason - it means that some problems with the same supply or sale of products are possible.
On the other hand, starting own production of milk powder from scratch, especially in regions with underdeveloped dairy farming, an entrepreneur may face a shortage of raw materials, or become dependent on imported milk.
Of course, you can equip your own dairy farm with half a thousand to a thousand heads, which will provide an average factory, but it will also require additional investments - in premises, equipment (separators, etc.), and most importantly - in land, which, however, itself yourself - the investment is quite reliable and stable.
In principle, the influence of the economic situation in the region can be saved from the presence of related industries: cheese, for example, or baby food - in a word, products that are included in the basic basket of necessities. But in this case, the business cannot be considered successful - it will always be in the zone of risky entrepreneurship.
Summarizing the above, it can be noted that the most successful option for the production of milk powder would be to place a business site in regions with developed dairy production with an eye to trade in other regions.Pavel Biryukov
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Video about the production of milk powder