Caking of free-flowing powders during storage is a deleterious phenome
non that is ubiquitous in the feed, fertilizer and pharmaceutical indu
stries, and of economical importance for low-moisture foods. Among oth
er subjects related to caking of amorphous powders, the following aspe
cts are reviewed in this article: (1) physical and morphological chang
es, and quantitative procedures to assess caking; (2) proposed mechani
sms of caking phenomena; (3) examples of caking in food materials; (4)
the relationships between storage-induced caking and other phenomena
and the glass transition of amorphous powders; (5) methods for estimat
ing the evolution of caking with lime from the physical properties of
powder samples and environmental conditions; and (6) measures to minim
ize the occurrence of caking phenomena.