Lactose Powder

Lactose powder is a food-grade milk sugar supplied as a fine white to off-white crystalline powder in monohydrate or anhydrous form. In pyrotechnics it is a common fuel for colored smoke compositions, where its low melting point and moderate burn rate keep flame temperatures low enough for organic dyes to sublime intact, and it also acts as a mild water-soluble binder for granulating powders.

In brewing it is the usual non-fermentable sugar for milk stouts and sweet ales, and in pharmaceutical work it is a standard tableting diluent and excipient.