Dehydration of coconut skim milk and evaluation of functional properties

Abstract

Coconut skim milk (CSM) is a major by-product of the virgin coconut oil industry. It is rich in protein, carbohydrate and minerals but is currently not utilized and is being let out to the environment as waste. The objective of the present work is value addition to this by-product. Different dehydration methods such as drum drying, spray drying and freeze drying were employed for drying CSM. The proximate analysis of dehydrated CSM using different drying methods indicated high protein and sugar content. The CSM powder obtained by these methods was evaluated for the functional properties and sensory attributes. The freeze-dried CSM powder was observed to have superior functional properties, while spray-dried CSM powder had more desirable sensory attributes. Results indicate that spray drying is technically the most feasible method for drying of CSM compared to the other methods based on product overall quality aspects.