Oat Milk Manufacturing Equipment

Find innovative production technology for making oat milk and connect directly with world-leading specialists.

Although invented in the 1990s by Rickard Öste, oat milk has only recently grown to be one of the most popular milk alternatives in coffee shops, and it owes it to its smooth mouthfeel and creamy texture. Extracted the plant materials from oats with water, this non-dairy milk is high in fibers, low in saturated fats, and eco-friendly. Oat milk processing equipment helps prepare raw materials, starting with harvest over kilning and making them into flakes or flour, and mixing the prepared materials with water and enzymes.

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The first steps in oat milk production

Before starting with the production of oat milk, the crucial step is to prepare the raw material – oats. Once harvested, oats are passed under a magnetic separator, as well as a series of rotating or oscillating screens, to remove foreign objects. Oats are indigestible before processing. To change that, oats must be removed from their hard husks. This process, called dehulling, happens in modern mills – oat milk processing equipment where oats fall into the center of a rotating disc and travel through a series of impact rings on the dehuller’s wall results in the separation.

In order to control and stabilize flavors, as well as to improve food safety, oats must undergo treatments of steaming and kilning (applying heat for an extended period), which takes place in long cylinders with steam and air being injected into the columns. Finally, to make oat flakes, the grains are flattened with the help of two rotating rollers. Some manufacturers make oat milk from milk flour, which is achieved by grinding oats with a pin or hammer mill.

From oat milk processing equipment to the to-oat-lly delicious beverage

Making oat milk is a quite simple formula, mixing rolled oats with water, a ratio of 1:2.7. Soaking them in warm water causes the breakage of the hull, which results in a slurry. The critical step in the production of oat milk, especially when it comes to the beverage’s flavor, is the process of adding enzymes to the slurry. For instance, in a production process called hydrolysis, α-amylase (77.78 mg per 1 kg of oats) is added to break down the starch into simpler sugars which is the answer to why oat milk tastes sweeter than plain oats.

Furthermore, the high percentage of starch in oats requires adding enzymes to keep the texture of the milk smooth and creamy. In addition to enzymes, oil can also help the smooth texture of the drink. Other ingredients, such as salt or vitamins, can be added to enhance the taste and health benefits. After achieving the desired properties, it is crucial to sterilize the product properly – either with UHT or pasteurization – and mix it with a homogenizer in a high-pressure and high-speed blender to ensure the final velvety texture with no oat chunks.

Oat-standing sustainability metrics

Not only is the oat milk industry one of the fastest-growing plant-based milk industries, but it is also leading in the possible sustainability metrics compared to its alternatives. Firstly, compared to dairy milk, oat milk production uses 60% less energy, 80% less land, and emits 80% fewer gases. The oat milk manufacturing process emits no methane and only 0.18 kilograms of carbon dioxide for a 200-milliliter glass. Furthermore, oats require the least amount of water to grow compared to other plants.

Namely, 1 liter of oat milk requires 48 liters of water, which is significantly less than dairy and other plant-based kinds of milk, especially almond which requires 8 times more water. Finally, oats can be cultivated in most parts of the world, benefiting the soil and agrobiodiversity.

Oat milk… or not?: Rules and Labels

Due to a few-year-old rule, plant-based alternatives to dairy products must not be labeled as “milk”, “yogurt” or similar as it could potentially be misleading for customers and understood as false advertising. However, each EU language has terminology exceptions, which means different labels are allowed in different countries. While this law was passed in the European Union as early as 2017, it has yet to be decided on a federal level in the United States. There were talks that such rules would soon be applied there too; however FDA still has not passed formal regulations. Therefore, while you might find “oat milk” on American shelves, in Europe you must look for “oat drink” instead. The bottom line is: it is the same product.