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Reap the benefits of multistage spray drying

Turning your liquids into high-quality egg powders



Moba egg grading, packaging and processing machines are packed with technology. Some designs are worth further investigation as they represent crucial customer value. In this series of articles, we will be zooming in on these "hidden gems." In May of this year, Moba announced an agreement with TAV Ingenieria S.A., an Argentinian company that focuses on the design, development, assembly, and commissioning of complete plants with a focus on the spray drying of products such as eggs. In this issue of Moba News, we share how multistage spray drying, a technology we are offering in cooperation with TAV, can change your business.

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History of spray drying

Storing perishable foods, such as eggs, can be challenging. By drying, you get all of the benefits of a fresh egg without worrying that the egg will go bad. Plus, the weight and volume of the eggs are reduced, which results in lower transport and storage costs. All of this makes dried eggs an affordable food resource full of protein and nutrients. And for processing plants, adding spray drying to the operation provides a way to sell high-quality products for a higher profit.

 

Spray drying technology was developed during the Second World War, when dried foods, such as milk and eggs, were supplied to military troops. Over the last seventy years, there have been many evolutions to this technology. The principle is to spray the liquid in microparticles and blow it with air at a high temperature (usually between 50°C and 200°C). The hot air 'absorbs' the humidity of the small particles, and the dried particles drop downward. However, TAV Ingenieria has developed a technology that focuses on achieving higher-quality products — a multistage vertical drying system.

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But how exactly does it work?

This multistage spray drying technology is a vertical system, in which the spraying of the liquid happens at the top of the tower. The hot air blows through the spray particles and picks up the moisture, creating the powder. The hot air containing the moisture is then filtered through the baghouse. The baghouse releases the particles periodically where they are stopped on the external side of the bags.


While the dried particles descend to the bottom of the tower system, a static fluid bed blows air at a lower temperature from the bottom. This air will bring better flowability to the powder and prevent the caking of fatty products, such as whole egg and yolk powder. The fluidized bed is also a great way to adjust final drying to reach the desired moisture content of the final product. Also, using this system allows for final drying at a much lower temperature, which creates a better end product while also saving energy.


Multistage spray drying

With multistage spray drying, you have the unique option to create an instant powder with superior dissolving properties compared to regular powder. Using a tower drying system, it is possible to re-inject the fine particles at the top of the chamber. These fine particles agglomerate with the newly formed particles. When water is introduced to this instant powder, it can penetrate the particles through the capillary function. In other words, the powder acts as a sponge for water, which increases solvability dramatically and saves time when the powder is used by the end user to create food products.

 

Horizontal vs. vertical

Traditionally, egg powder was created by using a horizontal drying system. In general, this system was used to create a single product, since cleaning was very time-consuming. In addition, the energy consumption of this system is relatively high. A vertical drying system is cleanable via CIP because there are no retention areas present. CIP reduces cleaning time drastically, by 3–4 hours, and allows a vertical dryer to produce more than one product, making it more versatile.

Finally, the residence time of the product in a vertical system is up to five times shorter at a lower temperature when compared with a traditional system. A shorter holding time with less heat leads to better functional properties in the end product.

 

Higher quality, higher profit

By using a vertical drying system and multistage spray drying, you not only achieve a higher-quality product. By adding this technology to your operation, you will also reap many benefits, such as:

·        Higher egg powder quality

         o   Improved microbiology due to efficient CIP inline

         o   Higher flow-ability due to static fluid bed

         o   Instant, fast-dissolving egg white powder

         o   Higher emulsifying capacity in yolks and whole eggs — proteins preserved by short residence time

·        Versatile equipment

         o   CIP inline instead of manual cleaning

         o   Static fluid bed, resulting in a better product, against lower costs.

         o   Ability to dry multiple products on the same dryer

         o   Less maintenance at lower costs

·        Access to global expertise, focus, and service

         o   Deep knowledge of the process and egg products, from LAB to customers

         o   Reactivity, adaptation to your needs

         o   Experience in engineering at over fifty turnkey processing plants

 

If you want to know more about how multistage spray drying can add value to your business, please contact Moba Italia or your local sales representative.

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