Foam-Mat Freeze Drying of Egg White and Mathematical Modeling Part I Optimization of Egg White Foam Stability

Egg white (albumen) is a rich source of protein and is widely used in confectionary industry for its wonderful foaming ability. Foam-mat freeze drying is one of the promising methods of drying, which tries to utilize the advantages of both freeze drying and foam-mat drying to produce better quality egg white powder. Preliminary experiments showed that the stability of foams made with egg white alone is not adequate for foam-mat freeze drying. Experiments were thus conducted using different stabilizers (methyl cellulose, propylene glycol alginate, and xanthan gum) to optimize foam stability. Bubble size distribution was determined using microscopy to understand foam structure. This article will discuss the effect of stabilizers on the stability of egg white foam and possible mechanisms involved. The results showed that xanthan gum at 0.125% provided sufficient stability for freeze drying.