Techno-Functional Properties of Mexican Cheese Whey Requesón Powder: Effects of Air-Convective Drying and Natural Gum Addition

Requesón, a Mexican whey cheese, has a short shelf life due to its high moisture content, near-neutral pH, and the limited preservation infrastructure of the artisanal cheese sector. Therefore, the development of requesón powder provides an innovative pathway to enhance market potential and expand its applications. This study aimed to evaluate the techno-functional properties of requesón powder produced through air-convective drying and to assess the protective effects of two natural gums, mesquite gum and guar gum, at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 g/L. Thermal dehydration significantly affected (p < 0.05) water holding capacity, swelling capacity, and hardness of the reconstituted powder. Although gum addition did not significantly enhance water holding capacity, it moderately improved texture and led to notable increases in swelling capacity (21–34%) and emulsifying capacity (11–20%) at high concentrations (p < 0.05). Structural analyses using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy revealed that thermal dehydration induced protein aggregation and reduced microporosity, impairing rehydration performance compared to requesón powder obtained by lyophilization. These findings suggest that requesón powder production is a promising strategy for valorizing whey and extending the applications of this traditional cheese as a functional food ingredient.