Solid milk obtained by compacting powdered milk

Abstract

A solid milk may include 0.5 wt % to 4 wt % of free fat, wherein a total fat content, including the free fat, is 5 wt % or higher. The solid milk may have a porosity of 30% to 50% and a solubility of 5 seconds to 180 seconds, where the solubility is defined as a time required to dissolve the solid milk completely when the solid milk is placed in 100 mL of water at 50° C. and shaken at a rate of 1.5 cycles/sec and an amplitude of 30 cm. The solid milk may have a hardness of 30 N to 300 N, where the hardness is defined as a force causing fracture when a load is applied in a direction in which a surface area of a fracture surface of a sample becomes minimal.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A solid milk, comprising:
 5 wt % to 4 wt % of free fat, wherein a total fat content, including the free fat, is 5 wt % or higher,   wherein the solid milk has a porosity of 30% to 50%,   wherein the solid milk has a solubility of 5 seconds to 180 seconds, where the solubility is defined as a time required to dissolve the solid milk completely when the solid milk is placed in 100 mL of water at 50° C. and shaken at a rate of 1.5 cycles/sec and an amplitude of 30 cm,   wherein the solid milk has a hardness of 30 N to 300 N, where the hardness is defined as a force causing fracture when a load is applied in a direction in which a surface area of a fracture surface of a sample becomes minimal, and   wherein powdered milk particles on a surface of the solid milk are bridged together and form a shell and a hardness of the surface of the solid milk is greater than a hardness inside the solid milk.   
     
     
         19 . The solid milk according to claim  1 , wherein the solid milk has a moisture content of 1 to 4 wt %. 
     
     
         20 . The solid milk according to claim  1 , wherein the solid milk as a volume of 1 cm 3  to 50 cm 3 . 
     
     
         21 . The solid milk according to claim  1 , wherein the solid milk comprises the free fat in an amount of 1 wt % to 2.5 wt %. 
     
     
         22 . The solid milk according to claim  1 , wherein the solid milk has a volume of 4 cm 3  to 20 cm 3 . 
     
     
         23 . The solid milk according to claim  1 , wherein the solid milk has a tetragonal rod shape with rounded corner portions. 
     
     
         24 . The solid milk according to claim  1 , wherein the solid milk is manufactured by a method comprising, in the following order:
 a compacting process of compacting powdered milk and obtaining a solid compacted body of powdered milk;   a humidifying process of wetting the compacted body of powdered milk obtained in the compacting process; and   a drying process of drying the compacted body of powdered milk humidified in the humidification process,   
     
     
         25 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein an amount of moisture added to the compacted body of powdered milk in the humidifying process is 0.5% to 3%. 
     
     
         26 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein the content of free fat in the compacted body of powdered milk in the drying process is 0.5 wt % to 4 wt %, and 
     
     
         27 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein the powdered milk used in the compacting process has a total fat content of 5 wt % or higher. 
     
     
         28 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein substantially no additives are added to the ingredient in the compacting process. 
     
     
         29 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein the compacting force is controlled in the compacting process so that the porosity of the compacted body of powdered milk becomes 30% to 50%. 
     
     
         30 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein the compacting force for compacting the powdered milk in the compacting process is 1 MPa to 15 MPa. 
     
     
         31 . The solid milk according to  claim 24 , wherein in the drying process, the moisture content of the solid milk is controlled to be no more than 1% higher or lower than the moisture content of the powdered milk used as the ingredient.