Modern frontiers and applications of spray-freeze-drying in design of food and biological supplements

Spray-freeze-drying (SFD) is a unique tandem technique combining spray drying (SD) and freeze drying (FD), and exploiting the advantages of both. SFD is particularly suitable for volatiles, biologicals, and food supplements that are sensitive to process extremities of temperature (SD) and time and cost (FD). Although SFD has been an area of interest to scientists for some time, there have been few very interesting investigations in food science in the recent past, which highlight the versatility and utility of this method, and been discussed in this review. The sources for SFD range from flavor ingredients to vegetables, lipids, enzymes, vitamins, and proteins. The extensive research findings in this domain have been collated in this focused review with the objective of providing the readers an essence of the forays made in this technology and the future possibilities it promises. Practical applicationsSpray-freeze-drying is suitable for volatiles, biologicals, and food supplements that are sensitive to process extremities of temperature (spray drying) and time and cost (freeze drying). Applications of SFD range from flavor ingredients to vegetables, lipids, enzymes, vitamins, and proteins. It offers reduced drying time, higher retention of bioactives postdrying, and improved rehydration, which makes it a method of choice. Considering the possibilities that this technique offers, further research on more types of feed is warranted, that would benefit industry and academia both.