Overview
Arbok-DryMilk is a closed-loop, low-energy dairy dehydration platform that turns raw or skimmed cow's milk into nutrient-rich dry powder while recovering purified water. Unlike spray drying (180–200 °C), it operates at ambient temperature under vacuum, preserving proteins, fats, and bioactives with no emulsifiers, lecithin, or stabilizers. A single-stage vacuum concentration + in-line emulsification replaces pasteurization/homogenization/thermal drying, and ~87.5 % of input volume is recovered as clean, food-grade water.
Applications
Shelf-stable dry milk and custom blends (e.g. with palm oil) for export, humanitarian aid, and low-cost infant-grade formulations; clean-water co-product for food, agriculture, or pharma.
On-site whey and reject processing at operating plants: the dairy industry generates ~700 million tonnes of whey and liquid waste per year, disposed of at $20–150/t or given to farmers free.
Removal of micro- and nanoplastic from contaminated milk powder — see Section 4.
Users: dairy processors, export/aid programs, infant-formula and blend producers, baby-food manufacturers.
Operating Principle
Stage 1 — evaporation: deep vacuum reduces water at ambient temperature without protein denaturation. Stage 2 — emulsification: fats and proteins recombine in-line under controlled flow/pressure. Stage 3 — optional final desiccation/air-flow drying for stabilization. Outputs: dry milk (30 t/day from 200 t input) and clean water (~175 t/day, pH-neutral, food-grade). Optional palm-oil fat customization pre/mid-process.
Limitations: requires consistent milk composition; powder must be packaged quickly to avoid moisture uptake; 200 t/day input is logistics-heavy.
Plastic removal. Polymer-contaminated milk powder is mixed with water or discarded whey and passed through the unit. Output: clean plastic-free milk powder, 100 % by volume of clean recycled water, and separated plastic as waste. Removal covers plastic of any size, including nanoplastic. Vacuum also destroys 100 % of pathogens, with zero odours and zero chemicals.
Key Parameters
Throughput: 200 t liquid milk/day per unit. Process temp: ambient, under vacuum. Energy: 55–60 kWh/t milk (vs 350–400 kWh/t spray drying) — up to 6× more efficient per kg dry matter. Water recovery: ~87.5 % (~175 t/day). Yield: 30 t dry milk/200 t raw (15 % solids). Nutrient retention: protein 98–99 %, stable fat emulsification (no oxidation), full B/A/D vitamins. Shelf life: 12–24 months. Optional palm oil 5–15 % of blend.
Note: energy and retention figures from source; broader multi-site validation advisable.
From a related ARBOK Institute publication on plastic contamination in infant nutrition, an expanded-scale module is described:
| Parameter | Value |
|—|—|
| Module throughput | 300 t milk/day |
| Output per module | 45 t dry milk + ~260 t clean recycled water per day |
| Energy | 1–3 kWh/t against 350–400 kWh/t for spray drying — 100–400× more efficient |
| Process temperature | ambient — no heat supplied (spray drying runs at 180–200 °C) |
| Production cost | $0.1–0.2/kg against market $2.5–3.2/kg |
| Market reference (GDT, April 2026) | SMP $2,876–3,466/t; WMP up to $4,062/t |
| Whey and reject processing cost | $0.12–0.24/t against $20–150/t for disposal |
| Plastic removal | any size including nanoplastic |
| Pathogen destruction | 100 % by vacuum |
| Module footprint | ~60 m² for 300 t/day, installed on existing site |
Two module scales are documented across sources: a 200 t/day base design (30 t dry milk/day, 55–60 kWh/t) and a 300 t/day expanded design (45 t dry milk/day, 1–3 kWh/t) with improved heat integration at larger scale. Both operate at ambient temperature under vacuum; figures from each source are presented as reported.
Architecture and Components
Deep-vacuum evaporation chamber; in-line emulsification stage; optional final dryer; clean-water collection; optional palm-oil dosing; modular line from 200 t/day, scalable. No chemical additives.
Advantages
Technical: no high-heat/spray drying, no additives/stabilizers, full nutrient retention (infant-grade proteins). Economic: ~$0.54/kg total production cost vs $2.5–3.2/kg market price (~75–82 % gross margin); clean-water co-product value up to $0.20/m³. Environmental: 6× energy efficiency, reduced carbon footprint, clean-water co-product. Strategic: customizable fat, suited to humanitarian/export/local chains.
Integrations
Built on Arbok-VC (sibling to Tea/DEALCO/MedZWD); clean-water output feeds food/agri/pharma; pairs with ARBOK water-recovery systems; optional palm-oil blending.
Deployment & Operation
Modular 200 t/day line: vacuum evaporation → emulsification → optional drying → powder packaging + water capture. Continuous production. Remaining: broader multi-site validation and integrated milk sourcing logistics.
TRL
TRL 7 (confirmed by Michael). Prototype/system in operational environment: continuous industrial-scale line in operation, export samples shipped to Mediterranean and North African markets and domestic aid programs, with broader qualification/scale-up remaining. (Legacy "TRL 8–9" set to 7 per Michael.)
TRL scale:
- TRL 1 — basic principles observed
- TRL 2 — technology concept formulated
- TRL 3 — experimental proof-of-concept
- TRL 4 — validated in lab
- TRL 5 — validated in relevant environment
- TRL 6 — demonstrated in relevant environment
- TRL 7 — prototype in operational environment ← Arbok-DryMilk
- TRL 8 — system complete and qualified
- TRL 9 — proven in operational environment
Market Potential
Dry milk is a large global commodity for export, aid, and infant nutrition; energy and water are major cost/sustainability constraints. A 6×-more-efficient, additive-free process yielding clean water as a co-product — at industrial scale — addresses export, humanitarian, and water-scarce-region markets.
Baby food segment. The baby food and formula market stands at $123 billion in 2026, projected to $214 billion by 2034. In 2026 laboratory testing found microplastic in every tested pouch from Nestlé (Gerber) and Danone (Happy Baby Organics): up to 99 particles per gram in Happy Baby Organics and up to 54 in Gerber; over 11,000 particles in a single Happy Baby pouch and over 5,000 in a Gerber pouch; 270–495 particles per teaspoon; a potential endocrine disruptor in Gerber samples. The contamination source is the polyethylene film of the pouch itself.
Typical Project Economics
Raw milk ~$0.45/kg + processing ~$0.09/kg = ~$0.54/kg vs $2.5–3.2/kg market (75–82 % gross margin). Clean-water resale up to $0.20/m³. Palm-oil additive $1.0–1.5/kg if used. Medium, modular, scalable CapEx from 200 t/day.
Reference plant, 15,000 t formula/year (~100,000 t milk), one 300 t/day module:
| Item | Value |
|—|—|
| Energy saving | ~30 million kWh/year — ≈$3M/year (US at $0.10/kWh) or ≈€12M/year (EU at €0.4/kWh) |
| Clean food-grade water | ~90,000 t/year ≈ $20,000/year |
| Dry solids recovered per day | ~15 t lactose + ~2.5 t protein + ~4 t minerals + ~1 t fats ≈ 20 t/day |
| Dry solids per year | ≈7,000 t — almost +50 % to plant output with no extra milk |
| Revenue from fractions | ~$6M/year (lactose ~$1,000/t, protein $800–1,500/t) |
| Disposal savings | $1–10M/year |
| CO₂ reduction | 6,000–12,000 t/year; at EU ETS €77–85/t another €0.5–1M/year; CBAM from April 2026 at €75.36/t |
| Total effect | +$10–20M/year (US) or +€20–30M/year (EU) |
| Against plant revenue of ~$50M | 20–40 % growth from waste processing and saved energy |
Regulatory exposure removed: US Clean Water Act penalties run $2,500–50,000 per day of violation and up to $100,000/day for repeat violations. A 2022 food-plant case cost a $1.2M fine plus $0.8M in legal and compliance costs; zero-discharge closes the issue.
Business model. B2B: modules installed at operating plants of major multinational dairy and infant-nutrition producers and regional producers on pay-per-ton or revenue-share from fractions; whey-processing franchise for dairy clusters. B2G: state reserves and food security with 12–24 month shelf life; humanitarian and school programmes, where one module yields 15,000 t of dry milk per year.
Risk Factors
Requires consistent milk composition (fluctuations affect texture). Rapid post-process stabilization/packaging needed (moisture uptake). Logistics-heavy (200 t/day input sourcing). Palm-oil blends face labeling regulation (e.g. EU). Energy (55–60 kWh/t) is higher than ARBOK's water-stream processes due to high dehydration load.
Related Technologies
Arbok – Tea · ARBOK-DEALCO · ARBOK MedZWD · ARBOK FOOD PRESERVATION · ARBOK-MILK BIOSAFE · ARBOK-REVITA · ARBOK-PHARMIX