Analysis of the Effective Parameters on Potato Powder Quality Produced by a Spray Dryer

Spray dryer was used to produce potato powder from potato juice. Turning potatoes into powder will increase its substance durability, ease of transportation and the storage. The important factors affecting the powder produced by spray dryer include inlet air temperature, volumetric flow rates of feed and air. Experiments were conducted according to Taguchi’s method by considering 3 levels for each one of the mentioned parameters and 2 levels for atomizer’s nozzle diameter. The objective was to obtain the optimized process conditions for producing potato powder with desirable color. By analyzing the experimental results, the optimized conditions for producing potato powder by spray dryer were determined. It was also revealed that by adding 1 percent maltodextrin (dry mass basis) to the feed, the product’s adhesion will decrease significantly and the amount of product will be increased.