Rapidly evaluating the caking tendency of sugar alcohols by developing a crystal bridge growth model: A case study of xylitol

Jiahui Li; Mingxuan Li; Yanbo Liu; Xiang Kang; Fan Wang; Li Tong; Ye Gao; Changyou Yu; Mingyang Chen; Junbo Gong

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.135051

Rapidly evaluating the caking tendency of sugar alcohols by developing a crystal bridge growth model: A case study of xylitol

Food Chem. 2023 Apr 16:406:135051. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.135051. Epub 2022 Nov 23.

Authors

Jiahui Li¹, Mingxuan Li¹, Yanbo Liu¹, Xiang Kang¹, Fan Wang¹, Li Tong², Ye Gao², Changyou Yu², Mingyang Chen³, Junbo Gong⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
² Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang 312300, PR China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China; Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang 312300, PR China. Electronic address: chenmingyang@tju.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China; Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang 312300, PR China; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Shantou 515031, PR China.

PMID: 36470079
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.135051

Abstract

Caking of crystalline sugar alcohols is a deleterious and undesired agglomeration process during storage in the food industry. Compared with the time-consuming and labor-intensive conventional caking assessment methods, this work develops a rapid methodology for evaluation of the critical caking cycle of xylitol with over 85% time-saving and 90% labor-saving while guaranteeing the precision accuracy. By developing a Caking-Hygroscopicity-Particle size crystal bridge growth model, the correlation and quantitative relationships among hygroscopic properties, particle size and the critical caking cycle are firstly established and confirmed, which can greatly simplify the most time-consuming and laborious experiments of water sorption measurements and caking tests. Besides, the knowledge obtained can help guide the rapid selection of storage humidity conditions and appropriate particle size distributions for maintaining the desired properties and competitive marketability of crystalline sugar alcohols.

Keywords: Caking; Critical caking cycle; Crystal bridge growth; Sugar alcohols; Xylitol.

MeSH terms

Crystallization
Food
Sugar Alcohols* / chemistry
Xylitol*

Substances

Sugar Alcohols
Xylitol