Title : Development of powdered products as an approach to avoid food waste: Convenience and challenges
Abstract:
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about a third of all global food production is wasted annually, representing an inestimable economic and resource loss, in addition to the environmental impact it causes. Among the strategies to minimize food waste, powdered products are seen as an alternative, being able to attribute a longer shelf life and ease handling, transport, and storage. Therefore, this work aims to present a systematic review of the methodologies currently applied to avoid food waste, including the production of powdered foods. The advantages and disadvantages of powdered foods, their flow properties, drying methods, and pretreatments will be overviewed. Morphological properties, namely the microstructure, and the equipment needed to carry out the tests in order to obtain the desired properties, will also be presented. Rehydration or instant properties (wettability, sinkability, dispersability and solubility) and how to improve them will be discussed, in addition to the evaluation of the rehydration behavior, involving the rehydration kinetics of powdered foods, such as Fick’s 1st and 2nd law, as well as Peleg’s kinetics and Weibull’s probabilistic models. In this work, powdered foods currently on the market will also be discussed, as well as the influence of each food matrix on powder production, regarding functional properties, sugar content, nutrients, and others. Finally, a case study with probiotics to produce yogurt powder will be presented, showing the viability of lactic acid bacteria and texture properties after the drying process. Overall, all challenges and possible solutions to the development of powdered foods will be covered.
Audience Take Away:
- The audience will learn how the production of food powders is able to avoid food waste compared to other methodologies. The benefits of powdered foods, desired parameters, and the applied technologies will also be covered. Food microstructure, drying methods, rehydration properties, pretreatments used, and rehydration kinetics will be taught.
- The biggest challenges in the production of powdered foods and possible solutions will be approached, and finally a case study with yogurt powder, carried out within my Ph.D. thesis, will be shown.
