The effects of proteins and low molecular weight surfactants (LMS) on spray drying and powder characteristics of model sugar-rich foods have been studied. Fructose and sucrose were selected as model sugar-rich foods and sodium caseinate (NaCas) was selected as a model protein. Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) and Polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) were chosen as model ionic and non-ionic low molecular weight surfactants. The feed solutions for spray drying had 25% solid concentration in all. To achieve identical powder recoveries of the order of 80% much higher NaCas:fructose ratio (30:70) was required compared to NaCas:sucrose ratio (0.5:99.5) which corresponded to 7.89% and 0.13% of sodium caseinate (initial bulk concentration), respectively. There was no change in powder recovery when the SSL concentration was increased from 0.01% to 0.05% in fructose-NaCas-SSL solution and also addition of 0.01% Tween-80 into fructose-NaCas solution did not affect the powder recovery (76.7 +/- 2.3%), however, it was slightly affected with the increase of Tween-80 to 0.05% (69.0 +/- 1.9%). At NaCas concentration above critical micelle concentration of NaCas (> 3% w/w), the presence of up to 0.05% low molecular weight surfactants had either no effect or minimal effect on the surface coverage of the droplets/particles and also on the powder recovery depending on the nature of the low molecular weight surfactants. The surface protein coverage and the recovery of the powder in sucrose-protein systems were very sensitive in the presence of low molecular weight surfactants due to being below the critical micelle concentration of NaCas. SSL displaced 2.0% and 29.3% of proteins from the droplet surface of sucrose-NaCas-SSL, respectively, when its concentration was varied from 0.01% to 0.05% thereby reducing the powder recovery from 75.5% to 30%. The addition of 0.01% Tween-80 in sucrose-NaCas solution resulted in a 48.2 +/- 1.5% reduction in powder recovery and at 0.05% concentration, it displaced a substantial amount of NaCas from the droplet surface and no powder was recovered. These phenomena are explained on the basis of surface-glass transition temperature, dynamic surface tension, nature of surfactants and glass transition temperature of sugars used. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy results showed that the powders of sucrose-NaCas, sucrose-NaCas with 0.01% SSL and all powders of fructose were amorphous. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.