STABILITY OF SPRAY-DRIED ENCAPSULATED CARROT CAROTENES

Encapsulation with various dextrose equivalent (DE) hydrolyzed starches affected stability of alpha- and beta-carotene in spray-dried carrot powders. Degradation of alpha- and beta-carotene during storage of the powders at temperatures ranging from 37 to 65 degrees C followed first-order kinetics and both degraded at the same rate. Hydrolyzed starch of 36.5DE was superior to 4, 15, and 25DE in improving retention of the carotenes. Carotenes encapsulated with 36.5DE hydrolyzed starch had a predicted half-life of 450 days at 21 degrees C compared to 2 days for carrot juice spray dried alone. Increasing the proportion of carrier decreased the carotene degradation rate and similarly decreased surface carotene. Air was critical in carotene stability, but exposure of encapsulated carrot powders to light did not accelerate degradation.