LAUSR

BACKGROUND Quail eggs have nutritional, therapeutic, and functional potential but are still not widely consumed in the world. Its powder form availability can contribute to expanding its consumption worldwide. However, drying can significantly affect food properties. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study comparing the effect of drying methods on the rehydration capacity and functional properties of whole quail egg powder. In this context, this work aimed to obtain powdered quail eggs by convective oven drying and freeze-drying of eggs in liquid and foam form, to evaluate the effect of each drying method on their physical, rehydration, and functional characteristics. RESULTS The powder obtained by freeze-drying eggs in the liquid form (L-FD) showed the most desirable foaming capabilities; however, it produced less stable emulsions. The powder obtained by convective oven drying of eggs in liquid form (L-CONV) had the worst rehydration and foaming capabilities but produced firmer gels and had good emulsifying capacity. Finally, the powders obtained by foam-mat drying yielded very stable foams and emulsions. CONCLUSION The evaluated methods promoted a good performance for quail egg powder production. The results point to the great potential of quail egg powder as an ingredient. Liquid freeze-dried (L-FD) eggs stood out positively concerning the rehydration capacity. Regarding the functional properties, each powder stood out with specific functionality. Therefore, the choice of the best method depends on the powder application since specific characteristics and functional properties are desirable for preparing each food. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.