Flavors microencapsulation

The term aqueous phase separation is often more simply described as oil-in-water microencapsulation. The two encapsulation processes described above are examples of this oil-in-water encapsulation. In this process the core material is the oil and it should be immisible in the continuous phase, namely water. A commercial example of aqueous phase separation would be the microencapsulation of an oily flavor such as sour cream with a gelatin wall. These microcapsules would then be dispersed in a dry cake mix. The mechanism of release would be during the moist baking cycle of the cake, moist-heat causing the capsule walls to first swell and then rupture. 

In a microencapsulation method, the encapsulate—usually an oil, flavor, enzyme, or medicinal—is emulsified in a dilute aqueous gelatin sol, a polysaccharide is added, and conditions are adjusted to favor coacervation. The encapsulate should not be truly soluble in the solvent or the cosolutes and the cosolutes should be differentially soluble in the liquid solvent. As much as 60-98% of the labile substance may be harvested by microencapsulation to yield microcapsules in the form of a free-flowing powder (Sirine, 1968). 

Excipients used in the formulation usually include a mixture of a water-soluble polymer and a crystalline sugar. Mannitol and natural polysaccharides such as gelatin and alginates are used. Microencapsulation and complexation with ion exchange resins can be combined with additional flavors and sweeteners for taste masking of bitter drugs. The fairly complex nature of manufacture and scale-up contributes to... 

Microencapsulation technology has been used from 1930s in packaging flavors and vitamins. Since the first commercial product was introduced for the carbonless copying paper, the technology has advanced to a new level. Various microencapsulation techniques are available nowadays, and the microencapsulated products are widely used in pharmaceutical, biomedical, agricultural, food, consumer products, and cosmetic industries. Representative applications of microparticles in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries include ... 

Microencapsulation of flavors is a technology of enclosing flavor compounds (core materials) in a carrier matrix. An amorphous or metastable solid is normally used as a carrier matrix. Microencapsulation is useful for improving the chemical stability of flavor compounds, providing controlled release of flavor compounds from microencapsulated flavor products, providing a free-flowing powder with improved handling properties and physical protection of volatile properties of flavor. 

Effect of Microencapsulation on Food Flavors and Their Releases 5... 

Liu XD, Atarashi T, Euruta T, Yoshii H, Ohkawara S. 2001. Microencapsulation of emulsified hydrophobic flavors by spray drying. Drying Technology 19 1361-1374. 

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