This review examines the global market for dairy ingredients by assessing the global demand for dairy products in relation to major dairy ingredient categories. Each broad category of dairy ingredients is reviewed including its definition, production and trade status, key applications, and future trends. Ingredient categories examined include whole and skim milk powders (WMPs, SMPs), whey protein concentrates (WPCs) and whey protein isolates (WPIs), milk protein concentrates (MPCs) and milk protein isolates (MPIs), caseins, and caseinates. Increases in world population and improvements in socioeconomic conditions will continue to drive the demand for dairy products and ingredients in the future. Dairy proteins are increasingly recognized to have nutritional and functional advantages compared to many protein sources, and the variety of ingredients with different protein concentrations, functionality, and flavor can meet the needs of the increasingly global dairy consumption. A thorough understanding of the variety of ingredients, how the ingredients are derived from milk, and how the demand from particular markets affects the supply situation are critical elements in understanding the current ingredient marketplace.
