Main powder physicochemical characteristics influencing their reconstitution behavior

• Published in: Powder technology Vol. 383; pp. 65 - 73
• Main Authors: Fournaise, Tristan, Petit, Jérémy, Gaiani, Claire
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.05.2021; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: Chemical composition; Crystallization; Food powder; Freeze drying; Grinding; Hydrophobicity; Life Sciences; Lipids; Manufacturing industry; Particle size; Powder; Powder reconstitution; Principal components analysis; Water activity; Wettability; Wetting; Powder reconstitution; Wettability; Particle size; Chemical composition; Food powder; particle size; food powder; wettability; chemical composition; powder reconstitution
• ISSN: 0032-5910; 1873-328X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2021.01.056

Thirty-six food powders corresponding to a wide range of physicochemical characteristics (bulk and surface chemical composition, median particle size, span, water activity) and manufacturing processes (grinding, freeze-drying, spray-drying, crystallization) were investigated for their reconstitutability. Their reconstitution profiles were acquired by conductivity measurements and fitted with Hill model. Physicochemical characteristics of investigated powders were correlated to their wetting and reconstitution times by principal component analysis. Four powder categories were identified on the basis of wetting and reconstitution times; i.e. green group (good reconstitutability); yellow and orange groups (intermediate reconstitutability); red group (poor reconstitutability). Long wetting times were associated to high particle surface hydrophobicity, small median particle size, as well as high protein and lipid contents in the powder bulk. Long reconstitution times were linked to the powder manufacturing process (i.e. grinding), as well as to low sugar content in the powder bulk. [Display omitted] •Food powders were sorted according to their reconstitution behavior•Principal component analysis linked powder characteristics to reconstitutability•Crucial physicochemical factors for wetting and reconstitution were identified