Dry sweet whey is not an exact replacement for nonfat dry milk. It has less protein and more sugar than nonfat dry milk (NDM). Whey protein concentrate of 34% (WPC34) has a composition of protein and lactose closer to the composition of NDM. There are also a number of milk replacer blends on the market. They may be a combination of nonfat dry milk, whey protein concentrate and lactose. Generally their composition of protein and lactose is fairly close to that of NDM, but the ratio of casein/whey proteins may be different from NDM.

In NDM, the protein consists of about 80% casein and 20% whey proteins. WPC34 contains 100% whey proteins. Usually milk replacers are somewhere in between in their casein/whey ratio. Casein and whey proteins have different functionality, so it is important to test any replacement for NDM in your food system.

Average Composition of Dairy Ingredients (%)