Roles of Water and Solids Composition in the Control of Glass Transition and Stickiness of Milk Powders

Abstract: Plasticization and glass transition of amorphous components in food powders often result in stickiness and caking. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of milk powders was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a viscometer method was used to determine sticky-point temperatures. Water sorption isotherms were established for varying solids compositions. Lactose contents were analyzed by high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAE-PAD) and proteins were identified using SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. Solids composition and water affected both the T_g and stickiness behavior. Stickiness was governed by carbohydrates and water plasticization. At low protein contents, precrystallization of lactose decreased the sticky point temperature, but increasing protein content in all milk powders decreased stickiness at all water activities. The results showed that glass transition can be used to describe time-dependent stickiness and crystallization phenomena, and it can be used as a parameter to control and reduce stickiness of dairy solids with various compositions. Practical Application: Glass transition of component sugars in milk powders with various water contents was responsible for a solid-liquid transformation which resulted in their viscous flow at particle surfaces and stickiness of the powders. Stickiness leads to wall deposition in dehydration and caking of powders in storage when the amorphous carbohydrate-rich components gain liquid characteristics. High protein contents in milk powders decreased stickiness, but precrystallization of lactose prior to spray drying increased stickiness at low protein content. Milk powders in storage gained higher water contents with increasing protein contents, but stickiness was reduced and lactose crystallization was delayed which improved storage stability.     

Mechanical relaxation times as indicators of stickiness in skim milk-maltodextrin solids systems

Thermal and water plasticization and glass transition of amorphous components often result in changes in physico-chemical properties of food solids including stickiness and component crystallization. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of skim milk-maltodextrin solids systems were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a sticky point test was used to determine the sticky-point temperatures (SPT). The mechanical α-relaxation around glass transition was measured by dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA). The Guggenheim-Anderson-deBoer (GAB) model was fitted to water sorption data and sorption isotherms were established. The glass transition and water sorption properties were dependent on the dextrose equivalent (DE) of the maltodextrin and the skim milk-maltodextrin solids system composition. Maltodextrins and lactose in skim milk solids were miscible and lactose crystallization was delayed in solids containing maltodextrins. The mechanical α-relaxation behavior was governed by the skim milk-maltodextrin solids system composition and was related to the development of stickiness. The α-relaxation at varying frequencies occurred at higher temperatures in solids with increasing maltodextrin contents and the sticky point was governed by the glass transition of the carbohydrates phase.     

Coupling of dielectric and mechanical relaxations with glass transition and stickiness of milk solids

Dielectric and mechanical α-relaxations of milk solids with varying milk protein contents were determined by dielectric (DEA) and dynamic-mechanical (DMA) analysis, respectively. The frequency dependence of α-relaxations occurring around and above the glass transition was modeled by the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman (VTF) relationship. The α-relaxations were governed by the amorphous lactose and shifted to higher temperatures when protein contents of milk solids were increased at all water activities, a_w. Increasing protein contents lowered the overall molecular motions of milk solid components which were shown by small changes in dielectric and mechanical properties above the glass transition. The α-relaxations were strongly frequency-dependent. At temperatures around and above the glass transition, the primary α processes were recorded and the corresponding relaxation times were determined. The temperature dependence of the relaxation times was affected by glass transition, solid composition and water. The relaxation times decreased with increasing temperature and water content as a result of thermal and water plasticization. Higher protein contents increased the relaxation times measured for milk solids. This was associated with small changes in α-relaxation characteristics and reduced powder stickiness. Data on the compositional effects on the relaxation times of milk solids were related to flow characteristics and powder stickiness around and above the glass transition.     

Oxidative stability of fried dough from rice flour containing rice bran powder during storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of rice bran powder on lipid peroxidation inhibition of fried dough from rice flour during storage. Rice flour dough containing rice bran powder at 5, 10 and 15 g rice bran powder/100 g mixed rice flour were fried in soybean oil at 160 °C for 1 min and stored in dark at 60 °C for 10 days. Lipid peroxidation of fried dough was determined by change of fatty acid compositions, oxygen absorption in vial headspace, lipid hydroperoxides, TBA values including decreasing tocopherol and gamma-oryzanol contents during storage. Polyunsaturated fatty acid decreased rapidly in fried dough without rice bran powder, while an increase of oxygen absorption in vial headspace, lipid hydroperoxide and TBA values were significantly lower (p?0.05) in fried dough containing rice bran powder. In addition, tocopherol degradation was significantly lower in fried dough containing rice bran powder during storage (p?0.05). However, there was no significant difference in gamma-oryzanol contents among fried dough during storage (p>0.05). These results demonstrated that rice bran powder shows the antioxidative effects on fried dough during storage.     

Mechanical α-relaxations and stickiness of milk solids/maltodextrin systems around glass transition

BACKGROUND: Stickiness correlates with changes in mechanical α‐relaxation properties and often results from glass transition and plasticisation of amorphous food components. In this study, milk solids with maltodextrins with different dextrose equivalents (DE9 and DE17) were analysed for glass transition (T_g), α‐relaxation (T_α) and sticky point (SPT) temperatures using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and a sticky point test respectively. RESULTS: At the same maltodextrin contents, T_g and T_α were lower for milk solids with the higher‐DE maltodextrin. Increasing maltodextrin contents gave T_g, T_α and SPT at higher temperatures, and the magnitudes of α‐relaxations with high maltodextrin (DE9 and DE17) contents were less pronounced. CONCLUSION: Stickiness was governed by glass transition and affected by skim milk/maltodextrin composition. Stickiness was reduced with increasing maltodextrin content as a result of maltodextrin miscibility with skim milk solids, particularly lactose, which changed the relaxation behaviour above the glass transition. The mixes of milk solids with low‐DE maltodextrin may show improved dehydration characteristics and powder stability resulting from increased T_g, T_α and SPT. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry