Tandem evaporation-drying methods and systems for making powdered milkderived products

A method of making a powdered milk product, the method comprising:

• providing an aqueous milk-sourced mixture;
• evaporating water from the aqueous milk-sourced mixture to produce an evaporated milk-sourced mixture having a total solids concentration of 35 wt. % or more;
• and
• heating an atomization gas to a temperature of 400° F. to 1000° F.;
• contacting the evaporated milk-sourced mixture with the heated atomization gas in a drying chamber to dry and atomize the evaporated milk-sourced mixture, and wherein drying and atomizing the evaporated milk-sourced mixture forms the powdered milk product, wherein the powdered milk product comprises a whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, micellar casein, one or more galacto-oligosaccharides, one or more aldobionate products, or a combination thereof.