Be at the forefront of innovation by mastering recombination

Recombination is a process whereby fresh milk that has been dried into powder form is reconstituted to return it to liquid form. It’s not new — Marco Polo’s writings mention something similar in 1295 AD. Since then, advances in techniques and technology mean it’s now possible to create all the traditional dairy products and invent new ones, through recombination.

Enjoy the benefits for manufacturing

One advantage of using recombination to create dairy products is the convenience of milk powders when it comes to storage. Recombined milk has the same nutritional value as fresh milk, and can easily replace it as an ingredient. This offers increased flexibility, especially in manufacturing processes that are placed under time pressure through using fresh milk. 

It’s also easy to work with if you’re creating innovative dairy products, for instance, by fortifying milk with added minerals or creating a high-protein beverage or formulating a yogurt with better taste and texture.

Introducing NZMP's Recombined Reference

Fonterra has long known the value of recombination — we have over 70 years of expertise in dairy and have built up an impressive store of knowledge from experimentation, scientific sources and our own unpublished research. This previously proprietary information is what we are now making available to our customers in the Recombined Reference.

It provides a unique and comprehensive insight into the basic principles and processes you need to master to manufacture recombined milk products successfully. Our Recombined Reference is intended to act as a practical guide and is written in everyday language. Packed with tips, detailed illustrations, and step-by-step instructions, it covers everything from ingredient selection to processing conditions to troubleshooting (which is essential whether you’re using recombination to create innovative products or just getting started).

Everything we know, at your service

Pulling the information in this manual together has been a labour of love which involved Fonterra’s engineers, technologists, chemists, nutritionists, and microbiologists. It covers everything from milk products like pasteurised, UHT, evaporated, and sweetened condensed milks, to newer products such as sports drinks, medical nutrition beverages, and juice smoothies.