Jiuwu Hi-Tech participated in the Chengdu Dairy Products Exhibition

China's dairy deep processing industry is currently at a critical stage of transformation, facing the dual challenges of reliance on imports for high-value-added products and technical bottlenecks. Leveraging its green, efficient, and precise advantages, membrane separation technology has become the core engine driving high-quality development of the industry. At the 2026 China Dairy Industry Technology Expo, Jiuwu Hi-Tech unveiled its full-process chain membrane separation solutions for dairy products, comprehensively showcasing its innovations in sterilization, concentration, separation, and purification in dairy deep processing. This provides dairy enterprises with new pathways to break through technical constraints and achieve transformation and upgrading.

Supply-Demand Resonance and Domestic Substitution: The Path to Transformation and Breakthrough in China’s Dairy Deep Processing Industry

Currently, China’s dairy deep processing industry is at a critical transformation stage, characterized by the accelerating synergy of “supply-demand imbalance, structural upgrading, and domestic substitution.” Upstream, the pressure from raw milk oversupply is intensifying, with a surplus of approximately 3 million tons of fresh milk in the first half of 2025 alone. Vigorously developing the dairy deep processing industry can not only increase the value-added rate of raw milk by over 60%, but also serves as an effective outlet for absorbing excess milk supply and breaking free from homogenized competition.

On the consumer side, the market is shifting from "drinking milk" to "eating milk." With the explosive growth of B2B markets such as baking and new-style tea drinks, the demand for deep-processed dairy ingredients is strong, yet import dependence exceeds 70%. In this market of approximately RMB 60+ billion, the localization rate is only 30%, leaving a domestic substitution gap of over RMB 40 billion.

2025 is hailed as the "first year of deep processing" for China's dairy industry, with over 70 new and ongoing projects nationwide. Once operational, these projects are expected to absorb more than 7.3 million tons of raw milk annually. Industry leaders such as Yili, Mengniu, and Feihe are accelerating their strategic deployments, making every effort to drive the domestic substitution of core ingredients and the upgrading of the entire industrial chain.

Against the backdrop of intensifying industry competition and consumers' ever-increasing demand for high-quality dairy products, membrane separation technology—with its unique advantages of being environmentally friendly, highly efficient and energy-saving, and precise in separation—is emerging as a core enabling technology driving high-quality development in the dairy industry. Jiuwu Hi-Tech's dairy solutions cover the entire process from raw milk pretreatment to functional component extraction, with core technical strengths primarily demonstrated in the following four process stages:

Against the backdrop of intensifying industry competition and consumers' ever-increasing demand for high-quality dairy products, membrane separation technology—with its unique advantages of being environmentally friendly, highly efficient and energy-saving, and precise in separation—is emerging as a core enabling technology driving high-quality development in the dairy industry. Jiuwu Hi-Tech's dairy solutions cover the entire process from raw milk pretreatment to functional component extraction, with core technical strengths primarily demonstrated in the following four process stages:

Ceramic Membrane Microfiltration Sterilization Technology (Low-Temperature Physical Freshness Lock-In)

Traditional high-temperature instantaneous sterilization (UHT) or pasteurization often results in the loss of heat-sensitive nutrients. This technology employs high-grade food-grade ceramic microfiltration membranes, utilizing their uniform pore size of 1.4 micrometers for physical sieving. Under normal or low-temperature operating conditions, this technology efficiently intercepts bacteria and spores in milk (bacteria removal rate > 99.99%), while allowing macromolecular nutrients such as casein and whey protein to pass through smoothly. This process avoids protein thermal denaturation and flavor loss, and to a great extent preserves bioactive components in milk, including immunoglobulins and lactoferrin.

Membrane Concentration Technology (Alternative to Thermal Evaporation)

Addressing the pain points of limited raw milk transportation radius and short shelf life, membrane concentration technology offers a low-energy physical dehydration solution. Using reverse osmosis or nanofiltration membrane systems, water in raw milk is selectively permeated, concentrating the dry matter content to approximately 50%. Compared with traditional thermal evaporation concentration, the membrane process significantly reduces transportation costs while extending the product shelf life. Moreover, with no phase change throughout the process, it effectively preserves the natural bioactivity of raw milk.

Ultrafiltration Whey Protein Fractionation Technology (High-Value-Added Extraction)

In the field of whey protein deep processing, ultrafiltration technology demonstrates exceptional separation precision. This process employs food-grade ceramic microfiltration membranes (0.1μm), whose uniform pore size enables precise physical separation of casein and whey proteins. Combined with subsequent ultrafiltration or ion exchange processes (to remove lactose and salts), the purity of milk protein can be increased to 90-95%, far exceeding the levels achieved by conventional processes. This provides high-purity protein raw materials for infant formula and functional foods.

Nanofiltration Selective Demineralization Technology (Natural Sodium Reduction)

In line with the low-sodium healthy consumption trend, nanofiltration technology achieves selective separation of ions in milk by utilizing its specific molecular weight cut-off. While concentrating the nutrients in skim milk, the nanofiltration membrane selectively removes a portion of sodium ions, achieving "natural sodium reduction." Without adding any chemical reagents, this process optimizes the taste and flavor of milk, making it lighter and smoother.

Six Highlights of Membrane Technology: Leading the Green Transformation of the Dairy Industry

The application of Jiuwu Hi-Tech's membrane technology in the dairy industry not only enhances product quality but also drives the green transformation of the entire sector, demonstrating six core advantages:

• Maximized Retention of Natural Nutrition and Flavor: A fully physical process with no phase change, avoiding the damage caused by high temperatures to heat-sensitive components in milk. It perfectly preserves bioactive substances such as immunoglobulins and lactoferrin, as well as the natural flavor.

• Flexible Customization of Nutritional Components: Through the combined application of different membrane technologies, precise separation and regulation of components such as proteins, lactose, and minerals can be achieved, meeting the nutritional requirements of various products and offering unlimited possibilities for the development of functional dairy products.

• Green & Additive-Free: No chemical additives are required, perfectly aligning with today's consumer pursuit of "clean label" and all-natural dairy products, helping enterprises build a premium, healthy product image.

• Safe & Reliable Filtration Materials: Food-grade ceramic membrane materials are used, complying with food industry standards. They offer excellent chemical stability, resistance to high temperatures, and tolerance to acids and alkalis. Thorough cleaning leaves no residue, ensuring product safety.

• Fully Physical Process: No phase change occurs, so heat-sensitive components are not damaged. The natural bioactivity of milk is preserved, providing consumers with healthier, more nutritious dairy options.

• Energy Saving & Economic Benefits: Compared to traditional thermal evaporation processes, energy consumption can be reduced by 60-70%. Simultaneously, wastewater discharge is decreased, treatment costs are lowered, and the overall economic benefits for enterprises are enhanced.