Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-021-00899-3

REVIEW ARTICLE

Impact of Foam‑Mat Drying on Plant‑Based Foods Bioactive

Compounds: a Review
Felipe Richter Reis1 · Ana Carolina Sales de Moraes2 · Maria Lucia Masson2

Accepted: 4 May 2021 / Published online: 29 May 2021

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021

Abstract
Plant-based foods are recognized by their remarkable content of bioactive compounds. In an attempt to increase plant-based
foods shelf-life, technologies like drying can be used. Foam-mat drying is a mild drying technology that removes water,
usually by using hot air, from a foam obtained by the whipping of a liquid or semi-liquid food added with a foaming agent.
There are several reports on the use of foam-mat drying for extending plant-based foods shelf-life, including reports on
the effect of drying on their bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study aimed at reviewing the literature on the impact of
foam-mat drying on plant-based foods bioactive compounds published in the last 10 years. Results show that short foam-
mat drying time is beneficial to bioactive compounds retention. In addition, hot air temperature between 40–65 °C, foam
thickness between 0.2 and 1 cm and the use of egg white as one of the foaming agents leads to high bioactive retention.
Egg white is also the most used foaming agent. Regarding the mathematical models used for fitting the foam-mat drying
kinetics, the Page model was shown as the most proper model. Foaming agent concentration is a delicate parameter, as its
increase in foam formulation may beneficially enhance drying rates but, at the same time, it dilutes bioactive compounds
and may cause their loss by oxidation. In conclusion, foam-mat drying stands out as a suitable technology for producing
food powders with high bioactive retention.

Keywords Fruit · Vegetables · Carotenoids · Phenolics · Anthocyanins · Vitamin C

Introduction is necessary due to the one or more of following reasons:

Plant-based foods are originally composed by a remarkable
amount of water, which makes them susceptible to microbial
spoilage and deleterious enzymatic reactions and ultimately
shorten their shelf-life. One of the most ancient methods
of food preservation is drying, which usually describes the
removal of moisture to produce a solid product, employing
temperature and vapor pressure to control the process. A
wet solid subjected to drying transfers internal moisture to
its surface, which is subsequently evaporated due to heat
transfer from the surrounding environment for evaporating
the moisture at its surface. Drying of several raw materials
* Felipe Richter Reis
felipe.reis@ifpr.edu.br
1
Food Technology Department, Federal Institute of Paraná,
Colombo, PR, Brazil
2
Chemical Engineering Department, Graduate Program
in Food Engineering, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba,
PR, Brazil
obtaining easy-to-handle free-flowing solids, preservation
and storage, reduction in transportation costs, achieving
desired product quality, etc. [1].
Among the methods available for drying, foam-mat dry-
ing consists in dehydrating liquid and semi-liquid foods
along with a foaming agent as to form a mat of stiff foam
by means of whipping at moderate temperature [2, 3]. Sev-
eral plant-based foods were already foam-mat dried, such as
cowpea [2, 4], papaya [3], uvaia [5], cantaloupe [6], yacon
[7], soursop [8], passion fruit [9], cassava [10], grapes [11],
cocoa [12], blueberry [13], fig [14], strawberry [15], rasp-
berry [16], yellow mombin [17], pineapple [18, 19], mango
[20], guava [21], sour cherry [22], tomato [23–25] and man-
darin [26].
Fruit and vegetables contain bioactive compounds such
as polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, phytoestrogens, glu-
cosinolates and anthocyanins [27]. Bioactive compounds can
be defined as “essential and nonessential substances (e.g.,
vitamins and phytochemicals) that are found in nature or are
created by the processing of foods or plants and are capable

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of exerting health benefits” [28]. Antioxidant, anticarcino-
genic, antihypercholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory and anti-
microbial effects, immune system modulator and reducing
cardiovascular disease risk property are some of the features
of bioactive compounds [29].
All the preservation techniques applied to food impact its
sensory, physical, chemical, nutritional, and bioactive char-
acteristics. Even though foam-mat drying is a technique that
presents strengths like low cost, high product shelf-life, low
product volume and weight, it may also affect the food prop-
erties. Plant-based foods are rich in bioactive compounds.
The effect of drying on bioactive compounds of plant-based
food has been described elsewhere [30–32]. Additionally,
reports on the effect of foam mat drying on plant-based
foods bioactive compounds are abundant. Taking this into
account, this review covers the last 10 years of studies on
the effect of foam mat drying on plant-based foods’ bioac-
tive compounds. The review was prepared based on a search
made on Scopus database with the term “foam-mat drying”.
Then, the articles were individually visualized in a seek for
bioactive compounds analyzes. Figure 1 shows the main bio-
active compounds analyzed in the review and their relation
to each other. Phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamin
C are among the most assessed bioactive compounds in food
science studies. Among phenolic compounds, anthocyanins
are one of the most important bioactive compounds. To
measure these classes of compounds, total phenolics analy-
sis and total anthocyanins analysis are quite used. Among
carotenoids, β-carotene and lycopene are one of the most
important bioactive compounds. To measure these classes
of compounds, total carotenoids analysis, β-carotene analy-
sis and lycopene analysis are also very usual. The chemical
assessment of vitamin C in food samples in an especially
important analysis given the relevance of this compound for
human health. The next sections provide information on the
bioactive compounds reported above as divided by studies
in which such assessments were performed.
Fig. 1  Main bioactive compounds analyzed and their relation to each
other
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Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160
Studies on Total Anthocyanins Assessment
Anthocyanins can be defined as orange, red, violet, and
blue water-soluble, flavonoid pigments present in the
vacuole that are synthesized through the phenylpropanoid
pathway and occur in all tissues of higher plants. Such
pigments have gained increased attention recently due to
their antioxidant capacity and associated health benefits
[33, 34].
Many authors assessed the effect of foam mat drying on
the concentration of total anthocyanins of plant-based foods.
For example, when the effect of egg white concentration,
methylcellulose concentration, and drying temperature on
physicochemical properties of sour cherry powder obtained
by foam mat drying was evaluated, it was found that total
anthocyanin content decreased with an increase in egg white
and methylcellulose concentration, which was attributed to a
dilution effect [22]. In addition, the same report showed that
a rise in temperature from 50 to 65 °C caused an increase
in total anthocyanin level. Such effect was due to the reduc-
tion in drying time with an increase in temperature, which
exposed sensitive compounds to heat for shorter times. On
the other hand, a rise in temperature from 65 to 80 °C caused
a decrease in total anthocyanin level. Such effect was attrib-
uted to thermal degradation of anthocyanins since tempera-
tures above 65 °C were deleterious for anthocyanins.
When studying the foam-mat drying of roselle calyces,
some researchers observed that an increase in drying tem-
perature from 40 to 50 °C reduced the total anthocyanin con-
tent from 58.71 to 46.85 mg/L, while an increase to 60 °C
reduced the total anthocyanin content to 41.76 mg/L, which
caused significant color change of the product [35].
The total anthocyanin content of roselle calyces subjected
to foam-mat drying between 40–70 °C was also assessed,
yielding results that showed that the anthocyanin retention
varied between 86.90% for a drying temperature of 40 °C
and 63.59% for a drying temperature of 70 °C [36]. Addi-
tionally, for a fixed drying temperature, the longer the drying
time, the higher the anthocyanin degradation.
The investigation of foam-mat drying of strawberries
showed that the total anthocyanin content of strawberry pulp
decreased by half after foam-mat drying [15]. Additionally,
the drying temperatures of 55, 65 and 75 °C were the most
appropriate for preserving the strawberry anthocyanins.
When the impact of microwave-assisted foam-mat dry-
ing on the anthocyanin content of blue honeysuckle berry
was evaluated, results showed that most of the antho-
cyanins were stable until 4 min of drying, and a sharp
decrease in anthocyanin content was observed after 8 min
of drying [37]. Additional results proved that the central
region of the round sample was the one that lost more
anthocyanins, as it heated more.
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160
Summarizing, some conditions of foam-mat drying were
shown to influence the anthocyanin content of plant-based
foods. Specifically, an increase in foaming agent concentra-
tion causes a decrease in anthocyanin concentration. Addi-
tionally, lower foam-mat drying times are favorable to the
preservation of anthocyanins. In this way, when foam-mat
drying temperature is mildly increased as to reduce drying
time without destroying anthocyanins, an increase in foam-
mat drying temperature is favorable to the preservation of
anthocyanin. On the other hand, a severe increase in foam-
mat drying temperature causes the thermal destruction of
anthocyanins.
Studies on Total Carotenoids, β‑carotene
and Lycopene Assessment
Carotenoids are the most widely distributed pigments in
nature, which exhibit yellow, orange, red and purple colors
[38]. Carotenoids contained in foods are usually ­C40 tetrater-
penoids that are formed from eight C ­ 5 isoprenoid units
joined head-to-tail, except at the center where a tail-to-tail
linkage reverses the order, thus resulting in a symmetrical
molecule. There is evidence that carotenoids are beneficial
for human health, such as the fact that β-carotene is a vita-
min A precursor, along with effects such as enhancement of
immune response, and reduction of the risk of degenerative
diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataract,
and macular degeneration. Such action against diseases has
been attributed to an antioxidant property, namely the ability
of carotenoids to quench singlet oxygen and to interact with
free radicals [39].
The effect of foam-mat drying on carotenoids of plant-
based foods has been studied by some authors. In this
sense, the effect of foam-mat drying, vacuum foam-mat
drying and freeze-drying on selected carotenoids con-
tent of tomato was compared [24]. The use of vacuum
for foam-mat drying had to be tested as in the initial
stage of vacuum drying there is a tendency of excessive
foam expansion and collapse. The test consisted in sub-
jecting the foam to successive pressure decreases from
1,000 to 100 mbar with pressure holding of 10 min at
each 100 mbar step. Foam formation was then optimized
by adding maltodextrin and natural surfactants and the
optimum air volume fraction for tomato paste foaming was
determined. It was discovered that lycopene content of
tomato paste decreased by 2.84% after freeze-drying, by
1.89, 7.58 and 10.4% after vacuum foam-mat drying at 50,
60 and 70 °C, and by 18.48, 30.19 and 37.16% after foam-
mat drying at 50, 60 and 70 °C, respectively. The authors
attributed the higher degradation of lycopene during foam-
mat drying to the presence of oxygen. The foaming agents
used were whey protein isolate and egg white. In addition,
155
β-carotene content losses were insignificant during freeze-
drying and vacuum foam-mat drying but reached 27% for
foam-mat drying at 60 °C, an effect that was attributed
to oxidation. The drying methods chosen in the study are
considered mild methods with regard to the degradation
of sensitive compounds and, even though foam-mat dry-
ing degraded more carotenoids than the other methods, it
is probably the most favorable technique among drying
processes conducted at atmospheric pressure for the pres-
ervation of sensitive compounds.
The foam-mat drying of cantaloupe at variable tempera-
ture (40–70 °C) and foam thickness (3–5 mm) was also
studied, and the results showed that lower drying tempera-
ture and lower foam thickness led to lower β-carotene loss
[6]. Heat destruction and oxidation were the mechanisms
claimed to be responsible for the β-carotene loss.
When the foam-mat drying of carrots was optimized
towards β-carotene retention, it was concluded that the
optimum drying temperature was 50 °C and the optimum
concentration of foaming agent (tween 80) was 0.2% (v/v)
[40]. The lower β-carotene content observed at a drying
temperature of 40 °C was attributed to its lower extract-
ability in petroleum due to the entrapment of the micelle
in the moisture of the wetter powder obtained at such
temperature, while the lower β-carotene content observed
at a drying temperature of 60 and 70 °C was attributed
to isomerization. The lower β-carotene content at lower
foaming agent concentrations was attributed to the fact
that, at such conditions, the micelle was not formed yet,
while the lower β-carotene content at higher foaming agent
concentrations was attributed to the destroying of foam
caused by excess of foaming agent, which caused dilution
of β-carotene into the solution.
The foam-mat drying of encapsulated carotenoid powder
from pequi fruit (Caryocar brasiliense Camb) at 60 °C was
the best process for carotenoid retention when compared to
70, 80 and 90 °C [41].
Total carotenoid of yellow cassava pulp content decreased
by 24% after foaming and by 32% after foam-mat drying
[10]. Such loss was attributed to the effect of whipping on
exposure of carotenoids to oxygen radicals that attack their
conjugated bonds and probably form secondary compounds,
and to thermal degradation during drying, respectively.
In sum, carotenoids are affected by several factors during
foam-mat drying. For example, the most appropriate foam-
mat drying temperature for high carotenoid retention is usu-
ally between 40–60 °C. It was also found that the whipping
conducted during foam-mat drying exposes carotenoids to
oxygen and light, causing their oxidation. Lower foam thick-
ness yielded better carotenoid retention. Finally, the foaming
agent concentration for best carotenoids retention should be
high enough to form a micelle and low enough to avoid their
dilution into the solution.
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Studies on Total Phenolics Assessment
Phenolic compounds can be defined as natural metabolites
synthesized through the shikimate/phenylpropanoid path-
way. Their structure consists of an aromatic ring contain-
ing one or more hydroxyl substituents [42]. The biologi-
cal effects associated with phenolic compounds have been
ascribed to their antioxidant activity. Phenolic compounds
are possibly a remarkable determinant of the antioxidant
potentials of foods, and in this way, a natural source of
antioxidants [43].
The effect of foam-mat drying on phenolic compounds
of plant-based foods has been studied by food science
researchers. For instance, the foam-mat drying of mango
was optimized towards the retention of phenolic com-
pounds [20]. It was discovered that the use of low dry-
ing temperature (53 °C) and low lecithin concentration
(0.0 g/100 g) in the foam resulted in higher total phe-
nolics content. The deleterious effect of temperature on
phenolic compounds is well described, while the negative
correlation between lecithin concentration and phenolics
retention was attributed to the potential of lecithin to form
foam, which exposes phenolics to oxygen resulting in their
oxidative degradation.
The foam-mat drying of pineapple was performed and
the effect of egg albumin concentration in the foam on
total phenolic content of the obtained product was assessed
[19]. Results showed that higher egg albumen concentra-
tion led to higher retention of phenolic compounds. Such
effect was attributed to the fact that egg albumen boosts
foam formation, yielding larger surface area, which results
in lower drying times and consequently in lower phenolic
degradation by heat.
The foam-mat drying of germinated and non-germi-
nated rice beans hydrolysate was carried out in a trial
showing that drying caused loss of phenolic compounds,
which was attributed to changes in their bindings with
other nutrients or in their chemical structure [44]. Addi-
tionally, an increase in drying temperature from 60 to
70 °C enhanced the degradation of phenolics, which was
ascribed to the deleterious effect of heat. Finally, germina-
tion caused an increase in the foam-mat dried hydrolysate
phenolic compounds content.
In another report, it was found that foam-mat drying
of cocoa-carob powder mixtures reduced the total poly-
phenol content due to heat degradation in up to 55.72%
[45]. In control samples, made only with cocoa powder,
the decrease reached 61.27%. Interestingly, the samples
made with high carob content presented lower polyphenols
loss after foam-mat drying (26.18%), which was attrib-
uted to protective effects of carob on polyphenols due
to their covalent binding to dietary fibers, which remain
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Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160
undamaged during drying, and to wide and hardened cell
walls of carob fruit developed to adapt to harsh environ-
mental conditions, which block heat and mass transfer.
The foam-mat drying of cocoa powder enriched with
peppermint extract was optimized towards product quality
features, including polyphenolic content, when it was dis-
covered that the use of 60 g egg whites, 25 g/kg of pepper-
mint extract and 4 min mixing time led to the highest total
polyphenols content [12].
During the study of the foam-mat drying of cocoa powder
enriched with lavender extract, it was found that the addi-
tion of the extract increased the total phenolic content of
the foam [46]. Additionally, it was observed that foam-mat
drying degraded the phenolic compounds to some extent due
to the heat used during the process.
When the foam-mat drying of fig fruit was investigated,
it was discovered that the total phenolic content of the foam
obtained by hot air drying was superior to that obtained by
microwave drying [14]. Such result could possibly be due to
typical product overheating that takes place during atmos-
pheric microwave drying, causing phenolic degradation.
The foam-mat drying of soursop under different condi-
tions was conducted and the concentration of total phenolics
was assessed [47]. It was found that an increase in the con-
centration of foaming agent caused a decrease in phenolic
content, which was probably due to a dilution effect. In addi-
tion, the use of fish gelatin as foaming agent yielded higher
phenolic content than the use of Arabic gum.
To summarize, phenolic compounds are strongly affected
by foam-mat drying conditions. For instance, high foam-
mat drying temperature destroys the phenolic compounds.
On the other hand, foaming agent concentration presents
variable effects depending on the foaming agent and on the
food under drying, either promoting higher phenolics reten-
tion or promoting their degradation. Finally, the addition
of plant extracts to the foams yielded products of enhanced
phenolic content.
Studies on Vitamin C Assessment
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is mainly found in fresh fruit and
vegetables. Its deficiency leads to scurvy. Ascorbic acid in
food is degraded by heat and leached into cooking water
[48]. Vitamin C is considered an ideal antioxidant as ascor-
bate possesses a low reduction potential that enables it to
react with virtually all relevant reactive species [49].
Several trials investigated the effect of foam-mat drying on
the vitamin C content of plant-based foods. For example, the
foam-mat drying of pineapple powder was carried out, when
it was found that the ascorbic acid content decreased from
236 mg/100 g (d.b.) in fresh pineapple to 40–155 mg/100 g
(d.b.) in foam-mat dried pineapple powder [18]. The higher
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160
the drying temperatures, the higher the decrease in vitamin
C, which suggests that the result was due to the effect of heat.
When studying the foam-mat drying of tomato powder,
some researchers observed that an augment in drying tempera-
ture from 60 to 80 °C caused a decrease in vitamin C content
from 25.0 to 16.8 mg/100 g [23]. Furthermore, the addition of
albumin as foaming agent to the foam also caused a reduction
in foam vitamin C concentration from 25.0 to 18.1 mg/100 g
for a foam-mat drying temperature of 60 °C, and from 16.8 to
12.1 mg/100 g for a foam-mat drying temperature of 80 °C.
This result was ascribed to the increase in the contact surface
between foam and air in the presence of albumin that ulti-
mately exposed more the ascorbic acid to the oxidative effects
of light and oxygen.
The microwave-assisted foam-mat drying of guava pulp
was also studied, in a study that found that drying reduced the
ascorbic acid content from 196 to 65.47–145.76 mg/100 g, a
variation that occurred due to the various microwave powers
(480–800 W), foam thicknesses (3–7 mm) and inlet air tem-
peratures (40–50 °C) used [21]. The ascorbic acid degrada-
tion was attributed to its heat labile nature. Additional results
showed that an increase in microwave power led to an increase
in ascorbic acid content, suggesting that it is more sensitive
to time than to temperature. Additionally, less thick foams
retained more ascorbic acid.
During the foam-mat drying of yellow mombin it was
found that a higher drying temperature (80 °C) led to a
higher vitamin C retention (~ 1500 mg/100 g) when com-
pared to foam-mat drying at 50, 60 and 70 °C [17]. In this
case, the authors affirmed that the drying at higher tem-
perature was faster, which ultimately exposed the vitamin
C of yellow mombin to light, moisture, and oxygen during
a shorter period, consequently enhancing its preservation.
When compared to fresh yellow mombin pulp, all samples of
foam-mat dried yellow mombin presented higher concentra-
tions of vitamin C due to a concentration effect.
To sum up, the effect of foam-mat drying conditions on
vitamin C of plant-based foods in sometimes controversial.
In this sense, high foam-mat drying temperatures usually
result in lower vitamin C retention, but once again drying
time was a remarkable parameter, which means that in some
studies an increase in drying temperature (hot air tempera-
ture or microwave power) resulted in shorter drying times
and consequently, in higher vitamin C retention. Further-
more, foams with lower thickness retained more vitamin C.
Studies on Miscellaneous Bioactive
Compounds Assessment
Some studies evaluated the influence of foam-mat dry-
ing on the quality of plant-based foods as expressed by
means of miscellaneous bioactive compounds content. In
157
this sense, a study on foam-mat drying of tomato powder
assessed the ascorbic acid content of the product, finding
that drying reduced its concentration from 31 mg/100 ml
in fresh tomato juice to 4.410–8.820 mg/100 ml in recon-
stituted foam-mat dried tomato powder [25]. In addition,
lycopene content also decreased with foam-mat drying.
Such effects were attributed to the heat sensitive nature of
ascorbic acid and lycopene.
In another trial, the effect of various drying tempera-
tures, foaming agents, and foam thicknesses on qual-
ity characteristics of foam-mat dried papaya pulp was
assessed [3]. There was a significant decrease in ascorbic
acid in the methyl cellulose, in the glycerol-mono-stearate
and in the egg white treated powders, which was attributed
to oxidation caused by prolonged thermal treatment. A
similar trend was observed for β-carotene.
Another trial assessed the total phenolic and the total
carotenoid contents of foam-mat dried uvaia powder, find-
ing that drying caused a loss of about 73.35–75.83% in
phenolics and of about 59.14–64.82% in carotenoids [5].
The losses of phenolics were ascribed to the activity of
oxidative enzymes, while the losses of carotenoids were
justified by the formation of foam, that increases their con-
tact with oxygen and light causing its oxidation.
A study on the foam-mat drying of jambolan fruits
showed that 70 °C was the most suitable temperature for
retaining anthocyanins, flavonols, hydrolysable tannins,
and total phenolics, as it provided fast drying without
excessive heating [50].
A trial that produced blueberry powder by means of
foam-mat freeze-drying and spray-drying found these
methods were similar in terms of total phenolics pres-
ervation, while the former was better for total mono-
meric anthocyanin preservation [13]. In addition, dif-
ferent stabilizing/foaming agents were compared, and it
was discovered that maltodextrin/whey protein isolate
was superior to trehalose/bovine serum albumin and
trehalose/β-lactoglobulin in terms of total phenolics (73%)
and total monomeric anthocyanin retention (95%) (Fig. 2).
The result was attributed to maltodextrin, which was better
at preserving bioactive compounds than trehalose (< 60%).
A study on foam-mat drying of grape showed that 70 °C
was the most suitable drying temperature for preserv-
ing anthocyanins, flavonols, and hydroxycinnamic acid
derivatives [11]. When performing the foam-mat drying
of passion fruit and assessing the bioactive compounds
content of the product, some authors found that vitamin
C, α-tocopherol, D-α-tocotrienol, coumaric acid, syrin-
gic acid, and sinapic acid contents decreased after drying,
while total phenolic, β-carotene, chlorogenic acid, trans-
ferulic acid and vanillic acid contents increased [9]. These
effects might be due to thermal degradation and concentra-
tion, respectively.
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158
Fig. 2  Retention of total phenolic content/TPC and total monomeric
anthocyanins/TMA of foam-mat freeze-dried powders. Results are
expressed as means ± range of duplicate determinations. T3BL1:
trehalose/β-lactoglobulin matrix; T3A1: trehalose/bovine serum albu-
min matrix; M3W1: maltodextrin/whey protein matrix. Source: Dar-
niadi et al. [13], used with permission, modified
Foam-mat drying of papaya pulp was evaluated in terms
of engineering properties and bioactive compounds pres-
ervation [51]. The study found that drying time affected
ascorbic acid more than drying temperature, being the
losses at 80 °C less pronounced than the losses at 60 °C,
which was a longer drying process. The decrease in ascor-
bic acid was attributed to its heat-labile nature. With regard
to carotenoid content, a decrease in foam thickness led to
a decrease in carotenoid retention, such as an increase in
drying temperature. Such effects were attributed to oxida-
tion and thermal degradation of carotenoids unsaturated
chemical structure. With concern to phenolic content, it
was observed that longer drying times were deleterious for
phenolic compounds.
Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) powder was obtained
by means of foam-mat freeze-drying and the effect of
foaming agents on powder characteristics, including
chlorophyll content, was evaluated [52]. It was found that
the lowest chlorophyll content was detected in the sam-
ples with the highest foaming agent content. Thus, the
result was ascribed to a dilution effect. When comparing
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Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160
the suitability of different foaming agents for preserving
chlorophyll, the authors found that sodium caseinate was
better than egg white protein, which may have facilitated
oxygen migration in contact with chlorophyll, causing its
deterioration via oxidation.
Conclusions
Plant-based foods are the most important sources of bioac-
tive compounds in nature. At the same time, they present a
short shelf-life. Foam-mat drying is a processing method
able to extend the shelf-life of plant-based foods with
advantages over conventional drying methods. However,
this review showed that foam-mat drying significantly
impacts the bioactive profile of plant-based foods.
In this sense, the temperatures achieved in foam-mat
drying may sometimes partially destroy the bioactive com-
pounds of plant-based foods. Additionally, most of the
times it is the excessive drying time that causes the deg-
radation of bioactive compounds. Therefore, it would be
desirable to use a drying temperature high enough to pro-
vide a short drying process. In addition, the foam produced
by different foaming agents may have diverse effects, like
1) enhancing drying rates, thus preserving more bioactive
compounds; 2) diluting bioactive compounds, thus reduc-
ing their concentration in the product; and 3) exposing
bioactive compounds to oxygen and light, thus inducing
their oxidation and reducing their content.
An overview of the impact of foam-mat drying on bio-
active compounds shows that different foam-mat drying
conditions led to high bioactive retention, i.e., hot air tem-
perature varying from 40–65 °C and foam thickness vary-
ing from 0.2 to 1 cm. In addition, egg white was used as
one of the foaming agents in most of the cases when high
bioactive retention was obtained.
The analysis of the foaming agents used shows that
the most popular foaming agent is egg white, followed by
albumins and carboxymethyl cellulose, which is usually
used in combination with a protein.
The analysis of the mathematical models used for fitting
the drying kinetics shows that the Page and the Newton
models are the most used for foam-mat drying, while the
Page model is the most adequate model for this purpose.
Our study emphasizes the potential of foam-mat drying
as a technique for producing food powders with high bio-
active retention, especially considering that it is a drying
method that uses hot air. In some cases, bioactives were
concentrated, which, when seen together with its low cost,
makes this technique a promising technological solution
for the food industry.
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2021) 76:153–160
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplemen-
tary material available at https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.1​ 007/s​ 11130-0​ 21-0​ 0899-3.
Author Contributions F. Richter Reis had the idea for the article, per-
formed the literature search and data analysis, and drafted and/or criti-
cally revised the work. A. C. S. Moraes drafted the work. M. L. Masson
critically revised the work.
Data Availability Not applicable.
Code Availability Not applicable.
Declarations
Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest.
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