Process for drying and powderizing functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural health ingredients

A system for producing free-flowing powder with a narrow particle size distribution from liquid solutions or liquid suspensions or liquid dispersions of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural health ingredients comprising in combination:

• (a) a feeding reservoir equipped with an agitator to maintain homogenous liquid compositions of said liquid solutions or liquid suspensions or liquid dispersions;
• (b) a positive displacement pumping device to pump said liquid composition into at least one atomizing device;
• (c) said at least one atomizing device composed of:
• (i) at least one fluid nozzle fitted at its bottom with a body in the shape of a truncated cone to distribute an upward gaseous drying medium over said nozzle;
• (ii) a optional micrometric tool to vertically adjust the position of the said fluid nozzle;
• (iii) at least two lateral streamlined tube-like devices for accelerating and directing said fluid or liquid suspensions in two opposite directions;
• (iv) a cylindrical plenum chamber wherein the fluid nozzle is located;
• (v) an accelerating zone of a drying medium consisting of a cylindrical pipe located at the bottom of the cylindrical plenum and having a length equivalent to at least five times the diameter of the inlet of the said cylindrical plenum chamber;
• (d) a conical-cylindrical drying chamber sustaining a temperature of gaseous drying medium at 250° C. and above equipped with a manhole, a multi-nozzle manifold and optionally removable insulation panels;
• (e) an intermediate drying medium consisting of a single bed or multi-beds of inert carriers leading to reduced volume of the drying chamber.