United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Dairy

Programs

United States 

Standards for 

Instant Nonfat Dry Milk

Effective February 5, 2001

Reviewed June, 2013
United States Standards for Instant Nonfat Dry Milk 1

Definitions

§ 58.2750 Instant nonfat dry milk.

 (a) Instant nonfat dry milk is nonfat dry milk which has been produced in such a 

manner as to substantially improve its dispersing and reconstitution characteristics over 

that produced by the conventional processes. Instant nonfat dry milk covered by these 

standards shall not contain dry buttermilk, dry whey, or products other than nonfat dry 

milk, except that lactose may be added as a processing aid during instantizing. The 

instant nonfat dry milk shall not contain any added preservatives, neutralizing agents, or 

other chemicals. If lactose is used, the amount of lactose shall be the minimum required 

to produce the desired effect, but in no case shall the amount exceed 2.0 percent of the 

weight of the nonfat dry milk. If instant nonfat dry milk is fortified with vitamin A, and 

the product is reconstituted in accordance with the label directions, each quart of the 

reconstituted product shall contain 2000 International Units thereof. If instant nonfat dry 

milk is fortified with vitamin D, and the product is reconstituted in accordance with the 

label directions, each quart of the reconstituted product shall contain 400 International 

Units thereof. 

(b) “Nonfat dry milk” is the product obtained by the removal of only water from 

pasteurized skim milk. It contains not more than 5 percent by weight of moisture and not 

more than 1 1⁄2 percent by weight of milkfat and it conforms to the applicable provisions 

of 21 CFR part 131, “Milk and Cream” as issued by the Food and Drug Administration. 

Nonfat dry milk shall not contain nor be derived from dry buttermilk, dry whey, or 

products other than skim milk, and shall not contain any added preservative, neutralizing 

agent, or other chemical.

U.S. Grade

§ 58.2751 Nomenclature of the U.S. Grade

 The nomenclature of the U.S. grade is U.S. Extra. 

1 Compliance with these standards does not excuse failure to comply with the provisions of the Federal 

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

1 

 
§ 58.2752 Basis for determination of the U.S.grade

 The U.S. grade of instant nonfat dry milk is determined on the basis of flavor, 

physical appearance, bacterial estimate on the basis of standard plate count and coliform 

count, milkfat content, moisture content, scorched particle content, solubility index, 

titratable acidity, and dispersibility. 

§ 58.2753 Specifications for the U.S. grade.

(a) U.S. Extra Grade. U.S. Extra Grade instant nonfat dry milk shall conform to the 

following requirements (See Tables I, II, and III of this section). 

(1) Flavor. Reconstituted instant nonfat dry milk shall possess a sweet, pleasing, 

and desirable flavor, but may possess the following flavors to a slight degree: 

Chalky, cooked, feed, or flat. (See Table I of this section).

(2) Physical appearance. Instant nonfat dry milk shall possess a uniform white 

to light cream natural color. It shall be reasonably free-flowing and free from 

lumps except those that readily break up with very slight pressure. (See Table II of 

this section).

(3) Bacterial estimate. Not more than 10,000 per gram standard plate count. 

(See Table III of this section). 

(4) Coliform count. Not more than 10 per gram (See Table III of this section).

(5) Milk fat content. Not more than 1.25 percent. (See Table III of this section).

(6) Moisture content. Not more than 4.5 percent. (See Table III of this section). 

(7) Scorched particle content. Not more than 15.0 mg. (See Table III of this 

section).

(8) Solubility index. Not more than 1.0 ml. (See Table III of this section).

(9) Titratable acidity. Not more than 0.15 percent (lactic acid). 

(See Table III of this section). 

(10) Dispersibility. Not less than 85.0 percent. (See Table III of this section).

Table I. - - Classification of Flavor 

 Flavor Characteristics U.S. extra 

grade

Chalky Slight.

Cooked Slight.

Feed Slight.

Flat Slight.

Table II. - - Classification of Physical Appearance 

Physical appearance characteristics U.S. extra grade

Color White to light cream

Free flowing Reasonably

Lumpy Very slight pressure

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Table III. - -Classification According to Laboratory Analysis

Laboratory tests 

U.S. extra

grade 

Bacterial estimate; Standard plate count; per gram (max) 10,000

Coliform count; per gram (max) 10

Milkfat content; percent (max) 1.25

Moisture content; percent (max) 4.5

Scorched particle content; mg (max) 15.0

Solubility index; ml (max) 1.0

Titratable acidity (lactic acid); percent (max) 0.15

Dispersibility; percent (min) 85.0

§ 58.2754 U.S. grade not assignable.

 

Instant nonfat dry milk shall not be assigned the U.S. grade for one or more of the 

following reasons: 

 

(a) The instant nonfat dry milk fails to meet the requirements for U.S. Extra 

 Grade.

 

(b) The instant nonfat dry milk has a direct microscopic clump (DMC) count 

 exceeding 40 million per gram. 

 

(c) The instant nonfat dry milk is produced in a plant that is rated ineligible for 

 USDA grading service or is not USDA-approved. 

§ 58.2756 Test methods.

All required tests shall be performed in accordance with DA Instruction No.918-

RL, “Instruction for Resident Grading Quality Control Service Programs and Laboratory 

Analysis,” Dairy Grading Branch, Dairy Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20090-6456; the latest revision of “Official 

Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists”; or the latest 

edition of “Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products” available from the 

American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 

20005. 

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Explanation of Terms

§ 58.2759 Explanation of terms.

(a) With respect to flavor:

(1) Slight. Detected only upon critical examination.

(2) Chalky. A tactual type of flavor lacking in characteristic milk flavor.

 (3) Cooked. Similar to custard flavor and imparts a smooth aftertaste.

 (4) Feed. Feed flavors (such as alfalfa, sweet clover, silage or similar 

 feed) in milk carried through into the instant nonfat dry milk. 

 (5) Flat. Insipid, practically devoid of any characteristic reconstituted 

 instant nonfat dry milk flavor. 

 (b) With respect to physical appearance: 

 (1) Reasonably free-flowing. Pours in a fairly constant, uniform stream 

 from the open end of a tilted container or scoop. 

 (2) Very slight pressure. Lumps fall apart with only light touch. 

 (3) Lumpy. Loss of powdery consistency but not caked into hard 

 chunks. 

 (4) Natural color. A color that is white to light cream.

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