The effect of competitive surface migration of proteins and low molecular weight surfactants (LMS) on the powder recovery in spray drying of highly sticky sugar-rich food has been studied. Sucrose was chosen as a model sugar-rich food because it cannot be easily converted into a pure amorphous powder through spray drying. Sodium caseinate (Na-C) and hydrolyzed whey protein isolate (WPI) were used as model proteins. Polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (Na-DS) were used as model non-ionic and ionic LMS. A sucrose solution was spray dried without any additives to establish a base case. Following this, spray drying trials of sucrose-protein solutions were conducted. The sucrose: protein ratio was maintained at 99.5:0.5 and 99.0:1.0. Finally, 0.05% of Tween-80 and Na-DS, on a nominal feed basis, were individually added to the solutions and spray dried. The solid concentration of all of the feed solutions was set at 25% and the inlet and outlet temperatures were maintained at 170 degrees C and 70 degrees C, respectively. Powder recovery was determined using a standard procedure and taken as an indicator of the surface stickiness. Coverage of the particle surface by the proteins was determined through elemental surface analysis and a nitrogen balance. It was found that in the absence of LMS, the proteins covered up to 55% of the particle surface and increased the powder recovery to between 84% and 85%. Formation of a glassy protein-rich film acts to reduce the surface stickiness of sucrose droplets. However, when LMS was added to the sucrose-protein solutions, the recovery dropped to zero in the case of Tween-80. In the case of Na-DS the recoveries ranged to 39% and 68%. At these recoveries 83% and 59% of the protein, respectively, was displaced from the surface. This drastic effect of surfactant types on the powder recovery is explained using the Orogenic Displacement model. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.