Microencapsulation Technology and Its Application in Food Industry

Microencapsulation granulation technology, also known as microencapsulation technology, has been applied to the food industry to solve some of the problems in the food industry, and has greatly promoted the transformation of the food industry from low-level primary processing of agricultural products to advanced industries. Its combination with ultra-fine grinding technology, bio-technology, membrane technology and hot-press reaction technology has shown bright prospects for the development and application of high technology in the food industry.

The superiority of microcapsule technology lies in: (1) It can effectively reduce the reaction of active substances to external environmental factors (such as light, oxygen and water), (2) Reduce the diffusion and evaporation of heartwood into the environment, (3) Control the release of heartwood (4) mask the odor of heartwood, (5) change the physical properties of the heartwood (including color, shape, density, dispersion properties), chemical properties, etc. For the food industry, natural flavor ingredients, physiologically active substances can be incorporated into the food system, and can maintain physiological activity. It can simplify many traditional processes, and at the same time, it also causes many process problems that cannot be solved by common technical means. has been solved.

Microcapsule technology is essentially a kind of packaging technology. The effect of the microcapsule technology is closely related to the choice of "packaging material" wall materials. The composition of the wall material also determines some properties of the microcapsule product, such as solubility and sustained release properties. , mobility, etc., at the same time it also has a certain influence on the microcapsule chemical process, so the choice of wall materials is the first problem to be solved in the microencapsulation.

An ideal wall material must have the following characteristics:
l Good flowability at high concentrations ensures good maneuverability during microencapsulation.
l It can emulsify heartwood and form a stable emulsification system.
l The heartwood can be completely embedded in its structure during processing and during storage.
l Easy to dry and easy to dissolve l Good solubility l Edible and economical

Types of wall materials commonly used in table microencapsulation: carbohydrate denaturalization starch, maltodextrin, corn syrup, cyclodextrin, sucrose, lactose, cellulose, colloids, dextran protein gelatin, soy protein, whey protein, caseinic acid Sodium, gluten, peptides, gliadin, hemoglobin, egg albumin lipids paraffin, beeswax, stearic triglycerides, monoglycerides, diglycerides, oils, fats, hydrogenated oils, lecithin

Graphically speaking, microcapsule granulation is the coating process of the material particles (core) and can be divided into the following four steps:
1) Disperse heartwood into microencapsulated media;
2) Put wall material into the dispersion again;
3) Aggregate, sink or wrap around the dispersed heartwood by some method;
4) The microcapsule film walls thus formed are unstable in many cases and need to be treated by chemical or physical methods to achieve a certain mechanical strength.

Application in the beverage industry

With the continuous advancement of science and technology in the food industry, consumers are increasingly demanding products. To address this issue, the beverage industry has introduced microcapsule technology to develop new products to meet consumer demand.

Such as sodium alginate, vegetables, natural juice as raw materials, micro-capsule technology and beverage technology combined to create micro-capsule composite fruit and vegetable beverages. The product has folic acid, protein, vitamin C, calcium and other nutrients. The ideal capsule has a round shape and a smooth surface. When the microcapsules are molded, the flow rate of the calcium chloride solution absolutely senses the appearance and texture of the capsule. The product has bright color, unique flavor, rich nutrition, excellent stability and other characteristics.

Or the seaweed extract as the main raw material, the use of dripping equipment dropped into another liquid material, chemical changes occur, so as to form pearl spherical capsule particles. The sodium alginate pearl capsule beverage is prepared by adding it to a beverage. The color of the beverage may be the same as the color of the pearl capsule, and may increase the nutritional value of the beverage, improve the appearance and taste of the beverage, and impede the absorption of cholesterol by the human body. Inhibiting the accumulation of harmful metal ions in the human body has special effects.

Extractable nutrients are extracted from fruits and vegetables. In order to maintain its color and prevent browning, vegetable juices are colored into capsules and added to beverages. The resulting products are colorful, stable, and have good sensory properties.

Application in dairy products

The nutrients added in dairy products have an unpleasant odor, and their properties are unstable and decompose, affecting product quality. By embedding these additives in microcapsule technology, the stability of the product can be enhanced, the product has a unique flavor, no odor, no agglomeration, uniform and delicate foam, good reconstitution, and long shelf life. Products made using this method include fruit powdered milk powder, ginger milk powder, cola milk powder, and foamed milk powder.
Application in candy

Microcapsule technology can be applied to the coloring, flavoring, flavoring of candy, and the nutritional enhancement and quality improvement of candy. The natural edible pigments, flavors, and nutritional fortifiers in candy production are easily decomposed, and they are microencapsulated by spray drying to ensure the stability of product quality. Commonly used wall materials are water-soluble edible glue, cyclodextrin, cellulose derivatives, gelatin, casein and other substances. The candy produced in this way is bright and lasting in color and has a long shelf life.

Application in food additives
Souring agents: Wall materials used as microencapsulated sour agents are generally hydrogenated oils, and heartwood is released by heat and water. Specifically, it includes a sour agent for meat products, a dough quality improver (mainly ascorbic acid), and an acid agent for other uses such as phosphoric acid.
Flavors and seasonings: This area is the most widely used field of microcapsule technology in the food industry. The most common ones are: lemon oil, peppermint oil, garlic oil, curry oil, etc.

Sweeteners: such as aspartame.

Pigments: Some natural pigments have poor solubility and stability in their application. After microencapsulation, they not only change the solubility but also improve her stability.