Food comes in a lot of different shapes and forms. One type that is quite unique is dry powder food. Dry powder foods are typically made to serve as alternatives to their fresh counterparts. This is because turning a food product into its powder form helps prevent spoilage and reduces its calories.
Popular Dry Powder Food
Food powders can be manufactured in a number of ways. Here is a brief overview of some of those processes as well as a list of some of the most popular food powders you can try.
Drying
Drying is one of the oldest and easiest methods of food preservation within the food industry. This is the process of eliminating moisture from a food product. Air movement is usually controlled so that any released moisture is taken away from the food. Eliminating moisture is what impedes the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and molds. As a result, this slows down any enzymatic reactions which can trigger the development of these organisms.
Hot-Air Drying
This method is probably the most traditional and least costly. It is usually used for drying vegetables and fruits. The food product will be placed in a hot area and left for a certain amount of time until all the moisture has evaporated.
Spray Drying
For this process, a dry powder is created from a liquid by quickly drying the liquid with hot gas. Products, such as powdered milk and other pharmaceuticals, employ this method.
Freeze Drying
Freeze-drying or lyophilization is a dehydration method that involves freezing the food product in order to eliminate any moisture. Compared to other drying processes, this method is best for preserving and retaining the quality of the original product even after extended storage, but it is also the most costly drying method.
Grinding
This is a quick and simple way of making food into dry powder. It is the process of breaking up solid food items into smaller particles. Grinding is typically done with a food processor or blender.
What To Try
While these are only some of the more popular dry powdered foods, you may start to see more powdered foods in the market very soon. Nevertheless, these food powders each have their own benefits that definitely make them promising.
Powdered Peanut Butter
Powdered peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts. The nuts undergo pressing where most of the natural oils are removed before being ground into a fine powder. Compared to traditional peanut butter, this has significantly fewer calories and less fat. Now, you can easily add some peanut flavor to your dishes and desserts with much less guilt.
Additional Source: Is Powdered Peanut Butter Good For You?
Egg Powder
Egg powder is created through spray drying and has a texture that can be likened to powdered milk. None of the nutritional value of the egg is lost during this process and actually helps lengthen the shelf life of the food product. This is a great alternative to use in many recipes especially since egg powder can be used for gluten-free recipes.
Powdered Milk
Powdered milk is probably the most widely known example of dry powder food. During production, the milk is boiled at low pressure and low-temperature environment in order to remove excess water. The concentrated liquid is then sprayed into hot air which forms the powder.
Powdered milk has a longer shelf life than regular milk and it does not really need to be refrigerated because of its low moisture content. Like the other kinds of powder food mentioned, it can also be used in cooking and baking. You can also drink it like regular milk when mixed with water.
What can Fortress Nutrition LLC do for you?
Rest assured that you’re in good hands with Fortress Nutrition. To learn more about how we tailor our blending, ingredient sourcing, logistics, consumer packaging, and other services to meet customer needs, and to find out how we can partner with you to ensure compliance with new GMO laws, contact us today.