Micro- and nanoencapsulation in foods

Polymers are particularly useful for encapsulation applications.The use of novel micro- and nanoencapsulation techniques can help to address the main problems of developing novel functional foods, as explained below  

Incompatibility between the food matrix and the functional ingredient functional ingredients come in a wide variety of molecular forms which, consequently, lead to differences in physicochemical properties. Therefore, different delivery systems are usually needed depending on the specific molecular and physicochemical concerns associated with each nutraceutical or functional component. An edible delivery system must facilitate the incorporation of the ingredient into the food system. When choosing the food vehicle used to add the chosen bioactive, it is important to consider its solubility in the food matrix and its interactions with other ingredients in the food formulation. 

One of the main advantages of the electrospinning technique, apart from those already mentioned, is its great versatility in terms of the range of 

1 Different morphologies of biopolymer-based encapsulation structures obtained through electrospinning, (a) Zein structures (b) PVOH fibers (c) pullulan structures (d) chitosan capsules. 

Some further benefits that can be obtained through using electrospinning to encapsulate functional ingredients include  

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