A new technique for spray drying orange juice concentrate

A new technique for spray drying concentrated orange juice using dehumidified air as drying medium and maltodextrin as drying agent was developed A pilot-scale spray dryer was employed for the spray drying process. The modification made to the original design consisted in connecting the dryer inlet air Intake to an absorption air dryer. 21 DE, 12 DE, and 6 DE maltodextrins were used as drying agents. Concentrated orange juice was spray dried at inlet air temperatures of 110, 120, 130, and 140 degrees C and (concentrated orange juice solids)/(maltodextrin solids) ratios of 4, 2, 1, and 025 Data for the residue remaining on the walls were gathered and the powders were analyzed for moisture content, bulk density. rehydration, hygroscopicity, and degree of caking. The combination of maltodextrin addition and use of dehumidified air was proved to be an effective way of reducing residue formation. Industrial relevance Orange juice powder has many benefits and economic potentials over its liquid counterparts and provides a stable, natural, easily dosable ingredient, which generally finds usage in many foods and pharmaceutical products such as flavoring and coloring agents However, the dehydration of orange juice is not a simple task Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a new technique for spray drying orange juice using dehumidified air as drying medium and maltodextrin as drying agent (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.