Microencapsulation application extended to the food industry

20/12/05 India, While microencapsulation technologies have been in existence for many decades and have been used in areas such as the pharmaceuticals sector, it is only recently that their application has extended to the food industry. This is largely due to sustained research and development and the subsequent identification of exciting and new microencapsulation techniques.

The history of microencapsulation can be traced as far back as 1927, when capsules were spray-dried with oil-gum acadia coatings. Today, microencapsulation is an advanced tool that enables the use of previously difficult-to-use ingredients and can also help in the introduction of a variety of novel food properties. It is small wonder that this technology is finding increasing popularity among food ingredients companies to achieve a variety of different functions.

“Microencapsulation has the ability to facilitate protected and targeted nutrition in a number of processed food products,” remarks Frost & Sullivan (http://food.frost.com) Industry Manager Kathy Brownlie. “It is fast becoming the most successful delivery systems that is enabling food ingredient companies to tap into consumer health trends.”

Although this technology was long considered far too expensive for use in the food industry, food manufacturers are becoming increasingly receptive to the use of encapsulated ingredients, which have become more economically viable.

Moreover, with the fear of commodification continuously looming, food manufacturers are turning to microencapsulation technologies as a way of achieving much-needed differentiation and enhancing product value. Tapping into key and emerging consumer trends with innovative techniques is becoming increasingly important for food manufacturers.

Indeed, changing consumer trends and tastes are primarily responsible for driving innovation in the microencapsulation market. Since food manufacturers constantly monitor such trends, food ingredients companies are always looking for ways to meet these ever-changing demands, thereby promoting the need for novel microencapsulation technologies.

With consumers showing a growing preference for functional food –which now accounts for a substantial chunk of the global nutrition market – food companies are looking for different ways to incorporate health-promoting ingredients that deliver some kind of health benefit to the consumer.

Microencapsulation can provide manufacturers with solutions as seen in several recent developments. For example, the encapsulation of probiotics in hydrocolloid beads helps to improve their survival rate right through processing and digestion. Moreover, new microencapsulation methods help to solve the issues related to oxidisation.

This also implies significant opportunities in the highly profitable children’s market. While consumers are becoming more health-conscious and are demanding more nutritious products, they are unwilling to compromise on taste. Since taste is particularly important to children, companies can microencapsulate minerals or vitamins in an appealing product such as chewing gum or candies. This would go a long way in ensuring that children get their daily-recommended intake of these supplements.

Another example in the convenience food sector, is in home-baked pizza products, where sodium bicarbonate can be encapsulated to prevent early release of the bicarbonate and delay the reaction of the leavening phosphate until the crust reaches a specific temperature in the oven.