Nutraceuticals are made for human consumption. They include health supplements, nutrition powders, protein blends, herbal extracts, and health drink ingredients. Spray drying helps convert liquid formulations into powders or granules that are easier to handle, mix, pack, and consume.
A Spray Dryer System for Nutraceuticals must protect product value, support production flexibility, and deliver consistent powder quality.
5 Challenges in Spray Drying Nutraceuticals
1. Expensive Ingredients Must Not Be Lost
Nutraceutical ingredients are often costly. Poor powder recovery, product sticking, or inefficient collection can directly reduce margins. The spray dryer must support the highest recovery.
2. Heat-Sensitive Actives Must Retain Their Value
Many nutraceutical ingredients can lose their desired properties when exposed to excess heat. The drying process must be gentle enough to protect nutritional value, colour, taste, and functionality. This is where controlled temperature profiles and multistage drying become important.
3. Hygroscopic Powders Must Stay Stable
Many nutraceutical powders absorb moisture from the air. This can lead to stickiness, lump formation, poor flowability, and reduced shelf life. Proper process air control, humidification, cooling, post-drying, and post-cooling help maintain powder stability.
4. Encapsulation Must Improve Product Performance
Some active ingredients need protection during processing and storage. Encapsulation helps improve stability, solubility, dispersibility, and bioavailability. With the right drying approach, powders and granules can be designed for better performance in the final formulation.
5. Process Control Must Support Product Flexibility
Every nutraceutical product behaves differently. Atomiser RPM, pressure, feed rate, airflow, and temperature must be adjusted as per the product. A well-designed system gives manufacturers the flexibility to handle different formulations, powder properties, and production needs.
Shachi is the No. 1 Partner for several nutraceutical manufacturers in India to design their Spray Dryer Plants. We have worked closely with owner managed businesses as well as large corporations, from understanding requirements to successful commissioning. Plants designed by Shachi are very successful with demonstrated performance in final quality requirements. Shachi’s plants have delivered on every parameter as expected – product quality to profitability, and continue to be the competitive edge of the clients