Superfine Grinding for Edible Powders: Mechanisms, Quality Regulation, Limitations, and Synergistic Strategies

Edible powders are important food ingredients, and their quality strongly affects processability, stability, and nutrient delivery. Compared with conventional grinding, superfine grinding enables particle-size reduction to the micron or submicron scale and has shown considerable potential for improving the physicochemical and functional properties of food powders. This review summarizes five representative superfine grinding technologies and discusses how different mechanical force fields regulate powder quality through changes in particle size, specific surface area, cell-wall integrity, and macromolecular structure. Current evidence indicates that superfine grinding can improve hydration behavior, dissolution, the release of bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and in vitro bioaccessibility, but these effects are highly dependent on raw-material characteristics and processing conditions. At the same time, excessive micronization may induce particle agglomeration, thermal degradation of sensitive components, sensory deterioration, high energy consumption, and potential safety concerns related to ultrafine particles. Therefore, the performance of a single grinding technology is often constrained by intrinsic physicochemical and engineering limitations. Recent studies suggest that combining superfine grinding with pretreatment, interfacial stabilization, or encapsulation strategies can improve powder stability and functionality more effectively than grinding alone. Future research should focus on standardized evaluation systems, mechanistic clarification across food matrices, and integrated process design for industrial application.