Atomisation and vacuum drying studies on Malaysian honey encapsulation

Malaysian honey is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, which can be a healthy alternative to refined sugar in food production. However, liquid honey’s viscous and sticky nature makes it unpreferable in industrial handling. This study, an atomization system coupled with vacuum drying to produce honey powders to overcome the problem. Three types of Malaysian honey, namely Acacia, Gelam, and Tualang, were encapsulated in Ca-alginate gel beads using the atomization system. The density viscosity, and surface tension of the honey-alginate solutions were measured, and the concentration of honey and alginate influenced the physical properties of the solutions. Honey-encapsulated gel beads in the size range of 2.16-2.92 mm were produced using the atomization system with the air-liquid mass flow rate ratios of 0.22-0.31, Weber number (We) of 112-545, and Ohnersorges number (Oh) of 0.35-10.46. Gel bead diameter can be predicted using a simple mathematical model. After vacuum drying, the honey gel powder produced was in the size range of 1.50-1.79 mm. Results showed that honey gel powders with good encapsulation efficiency and high honey loading could be produced using the atomization system and vacuum drying.