Species-dependent spray drying behavior of bovine, camel, and caprine milks

Spray drying is the principal technology used for the manufacture of dairy powders, yet the behavior of bovine, camel, and caprine milks during drying is often interpreted using concepts derived primarily from bovine systems. Differences in protein composition, interfacial lipid organization, mineral equilibria, and heat-induced structural transformations influence how these milk systems evolve during concentration, droplet drying, particle formation, and subsequent powder storage. This review examines how species-dependent feed characteristics are expressed during droplet drying, particle formation, and powder development in bovine, camel, and caprine milk systems. Evidence from studies on droplet drying, particle morphology, rehydration, and storage stability indicates that differences in colloidal organization influence shell formation, surface enrichment, particle architecture, and post-drying molecular mobility. Bovine milk remains the most extensively characterized reference system for interpreting drying-related transformations. Camel milk exhibits distinct behavior associated with the absence of β-lactoglobulin-mediated interactions, lipid-enriched particle surfaces, and lower glass-transition-related stability. Caprine milk shows substantial genotype-associated casein variability, whereas its documented drying behavior is mainly process-dependent. The available evidence indicates that bovine-derived interpretations cannot be transferred directly to non-bovine systems without accounting for species-specific structural characteristics. Current understanding remains constrained by the scarcity of standardized comparative datasets linking feed properties, drying behavior, particle structure, and functional performance under comparable processing conditions. Such datasets are needed to strengthen mechanistic interpretation of powder formation and quality development across milk species.