Spray drying of babassu coconut milk using different carrier agents

Abstract

The objective of this work was to optimize the spray drying of babassu coconut milk, an oil-in-water emulsion extracted from babassu kernels, using maltodextrin 10DE and modified starch as the carrier agents. Two central composite rotatable designs were used to verify the effect of the inlet air temperature and carrier agent concentration on process performance (process yield and outlet air temperature) and the physicochemical properties of the powder (moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, and lipid oxidation). Powders obtained under optimized conditions (25% maltodextrin concentration and 188°C, and a modified starch concentration of 20% and 170°C) were evaluated according to their morphology, particle size distribution, bulk and absolute densities, porosity, wettability, and thermal analysis.