CAKING PHENOMENA IN AMORPHOUS FOOD POWDERS

Abstract

Caking of free-flowing powders during storage is a deleterious phenomenon that is ubiquitous in the feed, fertilizer and pharmaceutical industries, and of economical importance for low-moisture foods. Among other subjects related to caking of amorphous powders, the following aspects are reviewed in this article: (1) physical and morphological changes, and quantitative procedures to assess caking; (2) proposed mechanisms of caking phenomena; (3) examples of caking in food materials; (4) the relationships between storage-induced caking and other phenomena and the glass transition of amorphous powders; (5) methods for estimating the evolution of caking with lime from the physical properties of powder samples and environmental conditions; and (6) measures to minimize the occurrence of caking phenomena.