Adding skimmed milk powder to food aid blends for vulnerable groups
What it found
Adding skimmed milk powder or whey to grain-based food aid improves protein quality and may help growth in malnourished people.
It would also roughly double the cost of the product.
What they found
Studies in people
Weight gain in people
A small pilot study gave whey to 3 people living with HIV for 3 months. All 3 gained between 2 and 7 kg, but there was no comparison group to confirm the cause.
Animal and lab studies
Growth in piglets
In animal tests, young pigs fed whey protein grew better than those fed a similar soy diet. The whey-fed pigs showed more growth in their intestines and bodies.
Studies in people and animals
Lactose digestion concerns
Skimmed milk powder contains about 50% lactose. However, because the milk makes up only a small part of the final food blend, the authors say lactose intolerance is unlikely to be a problem.
Other findings
Better protein quality
Swapping some soy or grain for skimmed milk powder or whey raises the protein quality score of the blend. This means less total protein is needed to meet nutritional goals.
Cost doubles with milk
Adding 10-15% milk powder to a food aid blend would double its price. Because of this, the authors suggest using it only for specific groups with special needs.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that adding skimmed milk powder or whey improves the protein quality of food aid blends and lowers the amount of soy and grain needed.
- They advise that the doubled cost means these dairy-enriched blends should be reserved for clearly defined vulnerable groups with special needs.
- They call for properly designed trials in people to confirm whether milk proteins actually improve weight gain, growth, and recovery from malnutrition.
How it was done
Food aid blends made from corn, wheat, and soy are given to millions of malnourished people, but few studies have checked how well they work. The authors wanted to see if swapping some plant ingredients for dairy protein could improve these foods for sick or undernourished children and adults.
The authors gathered and examined existing research on adding whey or skimmed milk powder to grain-and-soy food aid blends. They looked at studies involving malnourished infants, young children, and people living with HIV or AIDS. They also calculated how adding dairy would change protein quality and product prices.
What it can’t tell you
- Most evidence for growth benefits comes from piglets, which grow much faster than human children and may overestimate the effects in people.
- The few studies in people were very small or lacked proper comparison groups, so they cannot prove that milk powder causes better health outcomes.
- Observational studies linking milk intake to growth can show a connection but cannot prove that milk alone caused the extra height or weight.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
The paper
- Title
- The use of whey or skimmed milk powder in fortified blended foods for vulnerable groups
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Hoppe C, Andersen GS, Jacobsen S, et al (2008). The use of whey or skimmed milk powder in fortified blended foods for vulnerable groups. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1093/jn/138.1.145SFree full textPubMed 18156417DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error