On Techniques of Food Powder Solubility Measurements
In the food industry, powdered ingredients are commonly used for food formulation. The properties of these powders determine the quality of the resulting food products. Most of the food powders are colourless, have a bland taste, and are stable to processing. In particular, the dissolution of food powder is of great importance, both to the manufacturers and to the consumers, being one of the critical benchmarks of food powder quality for consumption. An example is reconstituted milk powder, where it is important for the powder to dissolve instantly to form a stable colloidal suspension of fat and protein, thus leaving little or no visible residue suspended in water or coated on the container surface.
Considerable research works have been done to investigate the dissolution of food powder using various different methods and standards. This paper presents a review of the current state of research on the dissolution of milk powder in the dairy industry, as well as selected studies from relevant industry. It outlines the different measurements and techniques currently employed by both industry and research laboratories, specifically focusing on techniques used to observe the rate of powder dissolution. The effects of temperature and pH on milk powder dissolution are also highlighted.