Danisco Technology Toughens Up Probiotic Cultures

’The new encapsulation technique will eventually open up new development possibilities in nutrition bars, infant formulas, breakfast cereals, powder beverages and processed cheese.’

16 Sep 2009 --- Danisco Bio Actives has unveiled outstanding initial results using novel encapsulation technology to improve the survival of probiotic cultures at high temperatures and during storage in semi-moist applications.

Trials with an encapsulated Lactobacillus acidophilus culture have found that resistance to temperatures up to 50°C (122°F) increased ten-fold when heat treatment was applied for 24 hours under dry conditions. In addition, the probiotic strain retained 60% viability after five months’ storage at room temperature in a nutritional bar with a moisture level of 0.35Aw.

Additional tests with the encapsulated probiotic in a recombined cheese application showed processing resistance 2,500 times superior to that of the control.

New probiotic potential

Isabelle Mazeaud, Bioprocess Development Senior Scientist at Danisco, presented the technology at the Industrial Workshop on Microencapsulation of Flavors and Bioactives in Minnesota, USA.

’A high level of probiotic survival all through process and storage is both technically and economically critical for food and supplement manufacturers,’ she comments. ’The new encapsulation technique will eventually open up new development possibilities in nutrition bars, infant formulas, breakfast cereals, powder beverages and processed cheese.’

Free of solvents and comprising food-grade, water-soluble components, the patent-pending technology meets the requirements of the industry and further tests are still running to ensure the presence of live active bacteria throughout the desired shelf life of various food and nutritional products.

Proactive bioprocess development

Following the recent opening of its Bioprocess Development Centre in Dangé, France, Danisco Bio Actives continues to consolidate its expertise in processing sensitive microorganisms, such as cultures.

’Danisco has always been proactive in searching for innovative technologies to improve the processing of cultures and deliver the potency and function that food and supplement manufacturers require,’ said Egon Bech Hansen, Vice President R&D for Danisco Bio Actives.

The company already offers a range of probiotic cultures with superior stability exceeding 24-month shelf life at room temperature in very low moisture applications.