Spray drying is the most commonly used technique for the production of dry flavorings. In spray drying, an aqueous infeed material (water, carrier, and flavor) is atomized into a stream of hot air. The atomized particles dry very rapidly, trapping volatile flavor constituents inside the droplets. The powder is recovered via cyclone collectors. Flavor retention is quite satisfactory if dryer operating parameters are properly chosen. Flavor retention is maximized by using a high infeed solids level, high viscosity infeed, optimum inlet (160-210 C) and high exit (>100 C) air temperatures and high molecular weight flavor molecules. The shelf-life of oxidizable flavor compounds is strongly influenced by the flavor carrier.Spray drying is the major process employed to produce dry flavorings. The popularity of this process is partially historic, i.e., it was the first process used in the flavor industry to produce an "encapsulated" flavoring. However, the merits of the process have ensured its continued dominance in the flavor area. These merits include availability of equipment, low process cost, wide choice of carrier solids, good retention of volatiles, and good stability of the finished flavoring.The initial step in spray drying of a flavor is the selection of a suitable carrier material. One can divide the major flavor carriers into three classes (and blends thereof): hydrolyzed starches, emulsifying starches, and gums (essentially gum arabic).The hydrolyzed starches are inexpensive, bland in flavor, very soluble (up to 75%), and exhibit low viscosity in solution. The major shortcomings of these products are a virtual lack of emulsifying capacity and marginal retention of volatiles.The emulsifying starches have been partially hydrolyzed and then derivatized to impart lipophilic properties.