Methods and apparatus for low heat spray drying

A system for spray drying a liquid product into a dried powder, comprising:

• a drying chamber, including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an internal volume within which the liquid product is dried in contact with a drying fluid therein;
• an atomizer adapted to receive the liquid product in a form including a liquid solvent, a carrier, and an active ingredient, and to discharge atomized liquid product into the drying chamber for contact with the drying fluid to form the dried powder containing the active ingredient encapsulated within the carrier;
• further comprising a source of said liquid solvent, a source of carrier, and a source of active ingredient(s), a tank equipped with a stirring device and arranged to receive liquid solvent, carrier, and active ingredient(s) from said sources to form the liquid product comprising a slurry having viscosity in a range of from 500 to 16,000 mPa-s, wherein the liquid solvent comprises water, wherein the carrier comprises starch, and wherein the drying fluid comprises air at temperature that is above freezing temperature of the liquid solvent and below 100° C.