Applications of spouted bed technology in the drying of food products

This study reviews the recent research progress of spouted bed technology in applications of food products. The pure spouted bed drying, spouted bed drying with inert particles and drying carriers and the combination of spouted bed with other drying methods are discussed in detail. Results showed that the effect of temperature on drying characteristics and quality was the most investigated and different results of the drying quality were observed. SBD is a potential drying method for food products, however, there are still some difficulties that limit its industrial application. Thus, modified spouted beds that facilitates scale-up are needed, such as rectangular spouted bed, draft spouted bed and mechanically spouted bed. Spouted bed drying with inert particles is a flexible alternative drying technology compared to the spray drying. The effect of using inert particles in spouted bed is good, however, strong friction and long-term use of inert materials will lead to fracture and fragmentation. Thus, drying carriers are often added. The drying performance and quality of spouted bed with other drying methods is generally better than that of pure spouted bed drying as it combines the advantages of different drying methods.