Would you like to transform your liquid ingredients into powdered products ready for industrial application? At AINIA, we help you scale up your process through spray drying, a versatile and efficient technology that enables stabilization, encapsulation, and reliable production.
Keep reading to discover how we apply this technology from the laboratory to industrial-scale production, following strict food safety and quality standards, backed by over 20 years of experience in sectors such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
A safe and efficient technology for the production of powdered ingredients
Spray drying is a continuous process technology used to convert solutions, emulsions, or suspensions into dry solids. Its versatility allows for the production of powders, granules, or agglomerates with specific characteristics such as particle size, residual moisture content, and particle morphology.
It is a fast and efficient technology, capable of producing large quantities of product in a short time, which turns into moderate production costs. In addition, it can be applied to a wide range of matrices and industrial sectors: from agri-food to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or chemicals.
Origin and evolution of spray drying
Patented in 1872 by Samuel Percy for the production of powdered milk, spray drying began to be used industrially in the food sector in the early 20th century. Its ability to extend product shelf life by reducing moisture content and ensuring microbiological safety has made it a key process for products such as coffee, instant soups, sauces, and beverage mixes.
In addition, it enables the microencapsulation of active compounds such as vitamins, flavors, microorganisms, or APIs, protecting their functionality during processing and storage.
Scaling up: From the lab to industrial production
When working on the stabilization or microencapsulation of an ingredient, scaling up from the laboratory to industrial level requires a rigorous process. During this transition, it is essential to conduct scale-up and technical-economic feasibility studies to ensure that the results obtained at small scale are reproducible and sustainable at larger scale.
In this context, validating and optimizing the process at pilot scale is crucial: parameters such as temperatures, pressures, and processing times are fine-tuned to ensure efficiency and product quality under real production conditions.
Our approach at AINIA
At AINIA, we have a multipurpose pilot-scale spray drying unit with a water evaporation capacity of 10 kg/h. This equipment allows us to work with aqueous or organic-based solutions and even apply spray cooling, which is ideal for waxy materials or fatty acids used as encapsulating agents.
With over 20 years of proven experience in this technology, from laboratory to semi-industrial scale, developing solutions for the agri-food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and chemical sectors.
International presence and technological advancements
Our expertise in spray drying and the selection of microencapsulation technologies was recognized at the 27th Microencapsulation Industrial Convention, held in San Antonio (Texas, USA), where we delivered the opening plenary lecture. The event showcased recent advances in process scale-up based on microfluidics, fluidized beds, biodegradable microcapsule generation, and controlled-release technologies for crop protection.
Industrial production under quality and safety standards
When companies’ production needs exceed their available industrial capabilities, AINIA offers a spray-dried ingredient batch production service, operating under strict food safety and quality standards.
We are authorized by the Generalitat Valenciana to manufacture, process, and handle food preparations for industrial use, and we are registered in the General Sanitary Register of Food and Food Companies of the Spanish Ministry of Health.
Quality control and regulatory compliance
AINIA has ENAC-accredited laboratories (ISO 17025) for the physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of spray-dried products. You can consult our accreditations here.
In addition, our team includes PCQI (Preventive Control Qualified Individuals) certified professionals, meeting the requirements of the U.S. FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). This allows us to support you in managing processes and regulatory requirements if you plan to export your spray-dried ingredients to the United States.
Would you like to learn more about scaling up your product or producing pilot and industrial batches through spray drying?
