ABSTRACT
Evaporated milk is sterilized, concentrated, homogenized milk. The product has a long shelf-life (it can be kept for several months, even at tropical temperatures), is completely safe for the user, and can be kept without refrigeration. After dilution, flavor and nutritive value of the product are not greatly different from that of fresh milk. Traditionally, sterilization occurs in cans or bottles. Currently, ultra-high temperature short-time heated (UHT) heating is also applied, followed by aseptic packing in cardboard containers. A major problem with sterilization is the heat stability; the higher the concentration of the milk, the lower its stability. That is why concentrating cannot be by more than about 2.6 times, which implies about 22% solids-not-fat in the evaporated milk.
