Effect of carrier types and compositions on the production yield, microstructure and physical characteristics of spray dried sour cherry juice concentrate

In this study, the effect of different carriers including maltodextrin (MD), gum arabic (GA) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) and their combination on the production yield, moisture content, bulk and tapped density, solubility, wettability, flowability indexes (Hausner ratio, compressibility, angle of repose), hygroscopicity and deliquescence process, color index and microstructure of spray dried sour cherry juice concentrate was investigated. The results showed increased powder production yield with a mixture of MD and GA (40:10 weight ratio). Use of 5% WPC in combination with the GA and MD increased powder production yield from 45.66 to 55.66% and 42.23 to 52.86%, respectively. Bulk density, tapped density, solubility and wettability significantly decreased with increasing concentration of WPC. Also, the use of 30% WPC in combination with the MD or GA increased particle size substantially. The surface morphology of the particles (with a smooth, shrunk and dented surfaces) was affected by feed composition.