Spray Drying

An industrial process converting liquid food products (solutions, emulsions, suspensions) into dry powder by atomising the liquid into a chamber with a stream of hot drying air. The droplets lose water rapidly, forming dry particles that fall to the bottom of the chamber. Spray drying is used to produce: protein powders (whey, casein, plant proteins), dairy powders (milk protein concentrate, skimmed milk protein, whey powder), flavour powders (soya sauce powder, cheddar cheese powder, yeast extract), and encapsulated ingredients (microencapsulated vitamins, omega-3 oils). The spray drying process can affect protein denaturation, flavour stability, and particle size — process conditions matter for finished ingredient quality.