PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT OF FOAM STABILIZERS ON THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND RECONSTITUTION PROPERTIES OF FOAM-MAT DRIED SOYMILK

Soymilk, a colloidal dispersion obtained by wet milling of soya bean (Glycine max (L) Merill), was subjected to the foam-mat drying process at 65°C using two foam stabilizers namely, carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) and glyceryl distearate (GDS) at 5, 10 and 15% levels. While CMC did not produce a stable foam at any of the levels used, it was however, found that a minimum of 10% GDS was required to produce a stable foam. The physical characteristics and reconstitution properties of 10% GDS foamed soymilk powder and 15% GDS foamed soymilk powder were found to be similar but better than those of unfoamed soymilk powder and inferior to those of a spray dried powder sample.