Concentrated and Dry Milk Ingredients

• Provide flavor and functionality in caramel, frosting and fudge
• Help oil-water interfaces to form and stabilize emulsions
• Form rigid, heat-induced irreversible gels that hold water and fat, and provide structural support to confections
• Improve water-binding to reduce the cost of confections (since water is an inexpensive ingredient)
• Bind water to produce the firm, chewy texture of several confections
• Form dense, uniform foams for confections such as nougat, frosting and various creams
• Contribute, through the Maillard browning reaction, the caramelized color associated with many confections
• Deliver an appealing color while also contributing to flavor
• Contribute a subtle, pleasant dairy note and aroma to confections
• Milkfat present in concentrated and dry milk ingredients adds richness to certain confections
• Milkfat acts as a flavor carrier for fat-soluble ingredients and various flavors—its low melting point ensures complete flavor release

Milkfat and Butter

• Provide unique flavor and mouthfeel to buttercream, fudge and toffee
• Help prevent stickiness in high-sugar solutions, especially with products like taffy, caramel and toffee
• Butter combines more than 120 different compounds that impart a unique, rich flavor to confections
• Butter creates flavor notes traditionally associated with caramel, praline and toffee—most sources agree that a high-quality caramel must be made using condensed milk and butter
• Enzyme-modified butteroil provides distinct dairy flavors in chocolate coatings
• Butter works well as a flavor carrier for spices, vanilla and other fat-soluble ingredients in confections with a cream center, butter can be used to produce a myriad of new flavors while maintaining the filling’s desired texture
• Butter contains 0.25% lecithin, a natural emulsifier important for mouthfeel
• Emulsification aids in moisture control, thereby helping to extend the shelf life of many confections
• Butter’s narrow melting range ensures quick flavor release and complete melting of butter at body temperatures for a ”melt away” effect, which aids in smooth mouthfeel
• Milkfat is one of the few fats that is highly compatible with cocoa butter; therefore, it can replace portions of cocoa butter in many confectionery formulations to offer considerable cost savings
• Milkfat minimizes fat bloom, a common visual and textural defect in chocolate, appearing as a grayish-white film on the surface

Lactose

• Contributes to overall flavor, color and texture
• Replacing part of the sucrose with lactose can prevent excessive sweetness in finished candy—replacements of 15% to 20% have been achieved in the production of nougat, chewing gum and fondants
• Emphasizes and enhances various confection flavors, reducing flavor loss during processing and storage
• Can enable a reduction in added flavors, resulting in a possible cost savings
• Enhances milky caramel flavor; studies show that excellent caramels can be made using 5% to 10% hydrolyzed lactose
• Increases moisture retention and improves whipability in marshmallow products by replacing as little as 10% of sucrose with lactose
• Tabletted candies made with lactose show free-flow characteristics
• Replacing some (about 4%) sucrose with lactose reduces moisture uptake, decreasing the tendency for high boilings to stick to the wrapper
• In wine gums, substituting up to 30% of sucrose with lactose results in improved taste and flavor, and prevents premature drying and crust formation while maintaining a chewy product
• Licorice gums are improved by substituting 30% of sucrose with lactose to create a short, soft, easily chewable and nonsticky texture
• Can improve flavor, texture, viscosity and cost in the manufacture of milk chocolate
• May substitute for nonfat dry milk in chocolate to reduce costs

Whey

• Provides emulsifying and whipping/foaming functionality in confections such as mousse, meringue and nougat
• Assists in the stabilization of creams and foams
• Improves whipping and foaming properties important in many confections
• Delivers a bland, slightly sweet flavor that enables other flavors, such as chocolate, to develop to their full potential