Single droplet drying—A new technology for optimization of drying conditions for dairy ingredients.

As a result of their extended shelf-life, dried dairy ingredients are a major product category produced for global markets. During the development of dairy ingredients, several drying trials are typically conducted to determine optimum drying conditions. The results of these trials can be critical in determining optimum dryer design. However, these trials can be expensive and time consuming. An alternative that has recently been developed is the use of a new technique called single droplet drying (SDD). The SDD technique involves a single droplet suspended on the tip of a glass filament, where changes in droplet diameter, mass, and temperature are measured during drying. This makes it possible to create a pictorial view of the drying process. Once the drying process is complete, particle morphology can be determined using microscopy or the rehydration behavior can be visually studied. A predictive model generated using SDD can then be used to optimize the drying conditions and dryer design. The modeling will help reduce costly plant trials and accelerate the development of new ingredients with novel functionalities