ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of process conditions on the properties of ginger essential oil microencapsulated by spray drying, using whey protein isolate and inulin as encapsulating agents. The treatment with 30% addition in wall material resulted in the largest droplet size in the emulsion. The wettability, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and polydispersity index were significantly affected by the two analyzed factors. Through the optimization process, the results indicate that moderate wall material concentrations (22.34%) and high inlet air temperature (170°C) were the best conditions for the ginger essential oil spray drying process.