Microencapsulation by Spray Drying: Influence of Emulsion Size on the Retention of Volatile Compounds

The influence of the mean emulsion droplet size on flavor retention during spray drying was studied. d-Limonene, ethyl butyrate, and ethyl propionate were used as the model flavors. Gum arabic, soybean water-soluble polysaccharides, or modified starch blended with maltodextrin, were used as the wall materials. The increasing emulsion droplet decreased the retention of flavors. The distribution curve containing larger emulsion droplets shifted toward a smaller size after atomization, indicating that the larger emulsion droplets would be changed in size during atomization and result in decreasing flavor retention. For ethyl butyrate and ethyl propionate, the retention had a maximum at the mean emulsion diameter of 1.5 to 2 and 2.5 to 3.5 μm, respectively.