The effects of proteins and low molecular weight surfactants on spray drying of model sugar-rich foods: Powder production and characterisation

The effects of proteins and low molecular weight surfactants (LMS) on spray drying and powder characteristics of model sugar-rich foods have been studied. Fructose and sucrose were selected as model sugar-rich foods and sodium caseinate (NaCas) was selected as a model protein. Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) and Polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) were chosen as model ionic and non-ionic low molecular weight surfactants. The feed solutions for spray drying had 25% solid concentration in all. To achieve identical powder recoveries of the order of 80% much higher NaCas:fructose ratio (30:70) was required compared to NaCas:sucrose ratio (0.5:99.5) which corresponded to 7.89% and 0.13% of sodium caseinate (initial bulk concentration), respectively. There was no change in powder recovery when the SSL concentration was increased from 0.01% to 0.05% in fructose–NaCas–SSL solution and also addition of 0.01% Tween-80 into fructose–NaCas solution did not affect the powder recovery (76.7 ± 2.3%), however, it was slightly affected with the increase of Tween-80 to 0.05% (69.0 ± 1.9%). At NaCas concentration above critical micelle concentration of NaCas (>3% w/w), the presence of up to 0.05% low molecular weight surfactants had either no effect or minimal effect on the surface coverage of the droplets/particles and also on the powder recovery depending on the nature of the low molecular weight surfactants. The surface protein coverage and the recovery of the powder in sucrose–protein systems were very sensitive in the presence of low molecular weight surfactants due to being below the critical micelle concentration of NaCas. SSL displaced 2.0% and 29.3% of proteins from the droplet surface of sucrose–NaCas–SSL, respectively, when its concentration was varied from 0.01% to 0.05% thereby reducing the powder recovery from 75.5% to 30%. The addition of 0.01% Tween-80 in sucrose–NaCas solution resulted in a 48.2 ± 1.5% reduction in powder recovery and at 0.05% concentration, it displaced a substantial amount of NaCas from the droplet surface and no powder was recovered. These phenomena are explained on the basis of surface-glass transition temperature, dynamic surface tension, nature of surfactants and glass transition temperature of sugars used. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy results showed that the powders of sucrose–NaCas, sucrose–NaCas with 0.01% SSL and all powders of fructose were amorphous.