Original Article Vol. 18 No. 2 (2026): The Palawan Scientist pp. in press
Process optimization of spray-dried buffalo milk Bubalus bubalis bubalis (Linnaeus, 1758) using response surface methodology
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Eileen B. Bandalan-Cayetano
Lotis E. Mopera
April Shayne L. Sulabo
Maria Cynthia R. Oliveros
Dennis Marvin O. Santiago
Abstract
Buffalo milk has higher fat and solids-not-fat contents, consisting mainly of proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals, making it more nutritious than cow’s milk. However, its composition also makes the product more perishable. Thus, preservation techniques like spray drying must be employed to extend its shelf life and facilitate efficient transportation and distribution. Spray-drying conditions for cow's milk have already been established. However, because of differences in physicochemical properties and composition, these conditions may not be applicable to buffalo milk. Therefore, optimizing the processing conditions for buffalo milk is necessary. This study aimed to optimize the spray-drying conditions for buffalo milk to produce an acceptable milk powder. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effects of three key variables: maltodextrin (10-20%w/w), feed pressure (8-12Hz), and inlet temperature (190-210°C). The goal was to determine their effects on the response variables, including moisture content, water activity, hygroscopic moisture, and insolubility index. The optimal spray-drying conditions were obtained at a maltodextrin concentration of 20% (w/w), a feed pressure of 12 Hz, and an inlet temperature of 210°C. These conditions produced a milk powder with a moisture content of 1.98%(w/w), a water activity of 0.227aw, a hygroscopic moisture content of 16.04g/100 g solids, and an insolubility index of 0.67. The model used to predict the responses was reliable because the experimental outcomes closely matched the predicted values. The spray-dried buffalo milk produced met the European Pharmacopoeia classification criteria for powdered milk and may serve as an ingredient in various milk-based products, such as yogurt.
Keywords
maltodextrin
reconstitution
milk powder
milk preservation
milk processing
milk quality and safety
How to Cite
Bandalan-Cayetano EB, Mopera LE, Sulabo ASL, Oliveros MCR, Santiago DMO. 2026. Process optimization of spray-dried buffalo milk Bubalus bubalis bubalis (Linnaeus, 1758) using response surface methodology. The Palawan Scientist. 18(2):in press. https://doi.org/10.69721/TPS.J.2026.18.2.11.
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References
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Labuza T. 1970. Properties of water as related to the keeping quality of foods. In: SOS symposium on physical and chemical properties of foods. Third International Congress of Food Science. p. 618–635.
Liu K. 1997. Soybeans: Chemistry, Technology, and Utilization. Boston, MA: Springer US. [accessed 2026 Apr 16]. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1763-4
Makridakis S. 1993. Accuracy measures: theoretical and practical concerns. International Journal of Forecasting. 9(4):527-529. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2070(93)90079-3
Masters K. 1991. Spray drying fundamentals: process stages and layouts. Spray drying handbook. 5th ed. Essex, UK: Longman scientific and technological and John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Myers RH, Montgomery DC, Anderson-Cook CM. 2016. Response surface methodology: process and product optimization using designed experiments. Fourth edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley (Wiley series in probability and statistics).
Park YW, editor. 2009. Bioactive Components in Milk and Dairy Products. 1st ed. Wiley. [accessed 2026 May 5]. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780813821504
Perez-Munor F, Flores RA. 1997. Characterization of a spray drying system for soymilk. Drying Technology. 15(3–4):1023–1043. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373939708917275
Písecký J. 1997. Handbook of milk powder manufacture. Soeborg: Nori A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
Pugliese A, Cabassi G, Chiavaro E, Paciulli M, Carini E, Mucchetti G. 2017. Physical characterization of whole and skim dried milk powders. Journal Food Science Technology. 54:3433–3442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2795-1
Quek SY, Chok NK, Swedlund P. 2007. The physicochemical properties of spray-dried watermelon powders. Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification. 46(5):386–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cep.2006.06.020
Schmitz-Schug I, Foerst P, Kulozik U. 2013. Impact of the spray drying conditions and residence time distribution on lysine loss in spray dried infant formula. Dairy Science Technology. 93(4–5):443–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13594-013-0115-8
Schuck P, Dolivet A, Méjean S, Jeantet R. 2008. Relative humidity of outlet air: the key parameter to optimize moisture content and water activity of dairy powders. Dairy Science Technology. 88(1):45–52. https://doi.org/10.1051/dst:2007007
Schuck P, Dolivet A, Jeantet R. 2012. Analytical Methods for Food and Dairy Powders. 1st ed. Wiley. [accessed 2026 Apr 16]. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118307397
Sharma A, Jana AH, Chavan RS. 2012. Functionality of milk powders and milk‐based powders for end use applications—A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 11(5):518–528. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2012.00199.x
Singh H, Newstead D. 1992. Aspects of proteins in milk powder manufacture. In: Fox P, editor. Advanced dairy chemistry. vol. I-proteins. 2nd ed. London: Elsevier Applied Science. p. 735–765.
Sinija VR, Mishra HN. 2008. Moisture sorption isotherms and heat of sorption of instant (soluble) green tea powder and green tea granules. Journal Food Engineering. 86(4):494–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2007.10.026
Sulieman AME, Elamin OM, Elkhalifa EA, Laleye L. 2014. Comparison of physicochemical properties of spray-dried camel’s milk and cow’s milk powder. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering. 4(1):15–19. https://doi.org/10.5923/j.food.20140401.03
Szulc K, Nazarko J, Ostrowska-Ligęza E, Lenart A. 2016. Effect of fat replacement on flow and thermal properties of dairy powders. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 68:653–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2015.12.060
Tamime AY, editor. 2009. Dairy powders and concentrated products. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell (Society of Dairy Technology series).
Tan LW, Ibrahim MohdN, Kamil R, Taip FS. 2011. Empirical modeling for spray drying process of sticky and non-sticky products. Procedia Food Science. 1:690–697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profoo.2011.09.104
Thomsen MK, Jespersen L, Sjøstrøm K, Risbo J, Skibsted LH. 2005. Water activity−temperature state diagram of amorphous lactose. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry. 53(23):9182–9185. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0508394
USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration). 2019. Grade “A” pasteurized milk ordinance (2019 revision). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. [accessed 2026 Apr 18]. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/FMMO_IDFA_340.pdf
Walstra P, Walstra Pieter, Wouters JTM, Geurts TJ. 2005. Dairy Science and Technology. 2nd Edition. CRC Press. [accessed 2026 Apr 16]. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781420028010
American Dry Milk Institute Inc. 1959. Standards for grade of dry milk including methods analysis. Chicago.
Anandharamakrishnan C, Ishwarya SP. 2015. Spray Drying Techniques for Food Ingredient Encapsulation. 1st ed. Wiley. [accessed 2025 Apr 16]. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118863985
Anandharamakrishnan C, Rielly CD, Stapley AGF. 2008. Loss of solubility of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin during the spray drying of whey proteins. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 41(2):270–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2007.03.004
Anderson MJ, Whitcomb PJ. 2016. RSM Simplified: Optimizing Processes Using Response Surface Methods for Design of Experiments, Second Edition. 2nd ed. New York: Productivity Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315382326
AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists). 2005. Official method of Analysis. 18th Edition, Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington DC, Method 990.20. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197610145.003.3080
Augustin MA, Puvanenthiran A, Clarke PT, Sanguansri P. 2014. Energy use for alternative full-cream milk powder manufacturing processes. Journal of Food Engineering. 124:191–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2013.08.035
Bhandari B, Bansal N, Zhang M, Schuck P, editors. 2023. Handbook of food powders: processes and properties. Oxford; Philadelphia: WP, Woodhead Publishing (Woodhead Publishing series in food science, technology and nutrition). https://doi.org/10.1016/C2021-0-01226-8
Cai YZ, Corke H. 2000. Production and properties of spray‐dried amaranthus betacyanin pigments. Journal Food Science. 65(7):1248–1252. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2000.tb10273.x
Chirife J, Buera MDP, and Labuza T. 1996. Water activity, water glass dynamics, and the control of microbiological growth in foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 36(5): 465-513. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408399609527736
Codex Alimentarius Commission. 1999. CODEX Standard for Milk Powders and Cream Powder. Codex Stan 207.
Fundora O, Gonzales M, Lezcano O, Montejo A, Pompa N, Enriquez A. 2001. A comparative study of milk composition and stability of murrah river buffaloes and holstein cows grazing star grass. Cuban Journal of Agricultural Science. 35(3):219–222.
Gawande H, Arora S, Singh AK, Sharma V. 2022. Process optimization for production of spray-dried buffalo milk protein co-precipitate with enhanced solubility. Applied Food Research. 2(1):100062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2022.100062
Goula AM, Adamopoulos KG. 2003. Spray drying performance of a laboratory spray dryer for tomato powder preparation. drying technology. 21(7):1273–1289. https://doi.org/10.1081/DRT-120023180
Goula AM, Adamopoulos KG. 2008. Effect of maltodextrin addition during spray drying of tomato pulp in dehumidified air: II. powder properties. Drying technology. 26(6):726–737. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373930802046377
IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association). 2026. Pasteurization. [accessed 2026 April 18]. https://www.idfa.org/pasteurization
Jaya S, Das H. 2004. Effect of maltodextrin, glycerol monostearate and tricalcium phosphate on vacuum dried mango powder properties. Journal of Food Engineering. 63(2):125–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0260-8774(03)00135-3
Jouppila K, Roos YH. 1994. Glass transitions and crystallization in milk powders. Journal of Dairy Science. 77(10):2907–2915. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(94)77231-3
Kajal MFI, Wadud A, Islam MN, Sarma PK. 2012. Evaluation of some chemical parameters of powder milk available in Mymensingh town. Journal of the Bangladesh Agricultural University. 10(1):95–100. https://doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v10i1.12099
Kim EH-J, Chen XD, Pearce D. 2009. Surface composition of industrial spray-dried milk powders. 2. Effects of spray drying conditions on the surface composition. Journal of Food Engineering. 94(2):169–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2008.10.020
Labuza T. 1970. Properties of water as related to the keeping quality of foods. In: SOS symposium on physical and chemical properties of foods. Third International Congress of Food Science. p. 618–635.
Liu K. 1997. Soybeans: Chemistry, Technology, and Utilization. Boston, MA: Springer US. [accessed 2026 Apr 16]. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1763-4
Makridakis S. 1993. Accuracy measures: theoretical and practical concerns. International Journal of Forecasting. 9(4):527-529. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2070(93)90079-3
Masters K. 1991. Spray drying fundamentals: process stages and layouts. Spray drying handbook. 5th ed. Essex, UK: Longman scientific and technological and John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Myers RH, Montgomery DC, Anderson-Cook CM. 2016. Response surface methodology: process and product optimization using designed experiments. Fourth edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley (Wiley series in probability and statistics).
Park YW, editor. 2009. Bioactive Components in Milk and Dairy Products. 1st ed. Wiley. [accessed 2026 May 5]. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780813821504
Perez-Munor F, Flores RA. 1997. Characterization of a spray drying system for soymilk. Drying Technology. 15(3–4):1023–1043. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373939708917275
Písecký J. 1997. Handbook of milk powder manufacture. Soeborg: Nori A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
Pugliese A, Cabassi G, Chiavaro E, Paciulli M, Carini E, Mucchetti G. 2017. Physical characterization of whole and skim dried milk powders. Journal Food Science Technology. 54:3433–3442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2795-1
Quek SY, Chok NK, Swedlund P. 2007. The physicochemical properties of spray-dried watermelon powders. Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification. 46(5):386–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cep.2006.06.020
Schmitz-Schug I, Foerst P, Kulozik U. 2013. Impact of the spray drying conditions and residence time distribution on lysine loss in spray dried infant formula. Dairy Science Technology. 93(4–5):443–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13594-013-0115-8
Schuck P, Dolivet A, Méjean S, Jeantet R. 2008. Relative humidity of outlet air: the key parameter to optimize moisture content and water activity of dairy powders. Dairy Science Technology. 88(1):45–52. https://doi.org/10.1051/dst:2007007
Schuck P, Dolivet A, Jeantet R. 2012. Analytical Methods for Food and Dairy Powders. 1st ed. Wiley. [accessed 2026 Apr 16]. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118307397
Sharma A, Jana AH, Chavan RS. 2012. Functionality of milk powders and milk‐based powders for end use applications—A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 11(5):518–528. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2012.00199.x
Singh H, Newstead D. 1992. Aspects of proteins in milk powder manufacture. In: Fox P, editor. Advanced dairy chemistry. vol. I-proteins. 2nd ed. London: Elsevier Applied Science. p. 735–765.
Sinija VR, Mishra HN. 2008. Moisture sorption isotherms and heat of sorption of instant (soluble) green tea powder and green tea granules. Journal Food Engineering. 86(4):494–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2007.10.026
Sulieman AME, Elamin OM, Elkhalifa EA, Laleye L. 2014. Comparison of physicochemical properties of spray-dried camel’s milk and cow’s milk powder. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering. 4(1):15–19. https://doi.org/10.5923/j.food.20140401.03
Szulc K, Nazarko J, Ostrowska-Ligęza E, Lenart A. 2016. Effect of fat replacement on flow and thermal properties of dairy powders. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 68:653–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2015.12.060
Tamime AY, editor. 2009. Dairy powders and concentrated products. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell (Society of Dairy Technology series).
Tan LW, Ibrahim MohdN, Kamil R, Taip FS. 2011. Empirical modeling for spray drying process of sticky and non-sticky products. Procedia Food Science. 1:690–697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profoo.2011.09.104
Thomsen MK, Jespersen L, Sjøstrøm K, Risbo J, Skibsted LH. 2005. Water activity−temperature state diagram of amorphous lactose. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry. 53(23):9182–9185. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0508394
USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration). 2019. Grade “A” pasteurized milk ordinance (2019 revision). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. [accessed 2026 Apr 18]. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/FMMO_IDFA_340.pdf
Walstra P, Walstra Pieter, Wouters JTM, Geurts TJ. 2005. Dairy Science and Technology. 2nd Edition. CRC Press. [accessed 2026 Apr 16]. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781420028010