The moisture content of dried milk and dried milk products is one of the predominant factors determining their keeping quality. ISO 5537|IDF 26 (IDF & ISO, 2004) serves as the reference method for the determination of the moisture content in all types of dried milk and is, as such, contained in Codex STAN 234-1999 (Codex Alimentarius, 2021). In order to further underpin the applicability of ISO 5537|IDF 26 to the wide range of dried milk and dried milk products, a complementary international collaborative study was conducted according to ISO 5725 part 1 (ISO, 1994) and part 2 (ISO, 2019), involving 14 laboratories in eight countries. Test samples were rennet whey powder, acid whey powder, whey permeate powder, milk permeate powder, cream powder and powdered infant formula. The results of the initial collaborative study with skim milk powders and whole milk powders (Grobecker et al., 1999) and the results of this complementary collaborative study prompt the inclusion of values of 0.15% and 0.25%, respectively for the repeatability limit and the reproducibility limit, in a revised version of ISO 5537|IDF 26 for the determination of the moisture content in dried milk and dried milk products.

Keywords: Moisture, reference method, dried milk products, international collaborative study.

Cite this content as:

International Dairy Federation. (2023). Moisture content of dried milk and dried milk products – Complementary international collaborative study (Bulletin of the IDF n° 524/2023). https://doi.org/10.56169/HLBP6830