Encapsulation process

Definition of encapsulation
● defined as a process to entrap active agents within a carrier
material (wall material)
● a useful tool to improve delivery of bioactive molecules and living
cells into foods
● a technology in which the bioactive components are completely
enveloped, covered and protected by a physical barrier
● a technology of packaging solids, liquids, or gaseous materials in
small capsules that release their contents at controlled rates over
prolonged periods and under specific conditions
● Produced particles usually have diameters of a few nm to a few
mm
● Encapsulation technology is now well developed and accepted
within the pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, foods and printing
industries. In food products, fats and oils, aroma compounds and
oleoresins, vitamins, minerals, colorants, and enzymes have been
encapsulated
 Microencapsulation,
macrocoating
• Encapsulation technology in food processing
involves the coating of minute ingredient
particles (e.g., acidulants, leavening agents,
artificial sweeteners, minerals, vitamins,
antioxidants, essential oils, flavors, and
bioactives)
as well as whole ingredients (e.g., raisins,
nuts, and confectionery products), which can
be accomplished by microencapsulation and
macrocoating techniques, respectively.
The main purposes of
encapsulation

Stabilize an active ingredient

Control its release rate

And convert a liquid formulation into

a solid which is easier to handle
• The substance that is encapsulated may be called the
core material, the active agent, fill, internal phase, or
payload phase.
• The substance that is encapsulating may be called the
coating, membrane, shell, carrier material, wall material,
capsule, external phase, or matrix.
 Types of encapsulate
The reservoir type:
• has a shell around the active agent.
• This type is also called capsule, single-core, mono-core or
core-shell type.
The matrix type
• The active agent is much more dispersed over the carrier
material; it can be in the form of relatively small droplets or
more homogenously distributed over the encapsulate.
• Active agents in the matrix type of encapsulates are in general
also present at the surface (unless they have an additional
coating)
 Encapsulation in food
industry-Why??
1. Encapsulation can protect the core material from degradation by
reducing its reactivity toward the outside environment (e.g., heat,
moisture, air, and light).
2. Evaporation or transfer rate of the core material to the outside
environment is decreased/retarded.
3. The physical characteristics of the original material can be modified and
made easier to handle.
For example
a. A liquid component can be converted into solid particles.
b. Lumping can be prevented.
c. The core material can be distributed more uniformly throughout a
mixture by giving it a size and outside surface.
d. Hygroscopicity can be reduced.
e. Flow and compression properties can be improved.
f. Dustiness can be reduced.
g. Density can be modified.
4. The product can be designed to either release slowly over
time or at a certain point (i.e., to control the release of the
core material so as to achieve the proper delay until the right
stimulus).

5. The taste of the core material can be masked.

6. The core material can be diluted when it is needed only in

very small amounts, and to achieve uniform dispersion in the
host material.

7. It can be used to separate reactive components within a

mixture which would otherwise react with one another.
 Encapsulation techniques
Since encapsulating compounds are very often in a liquid form,
many technologies are based on drying.

Different techniques are available to encapsulate active agents

like:
• Spray drying
• Spray-bed-drying
• Fluid-bed coating
• Spray-chilling
• Spray-cooling
• Melt extrusion
• Melt injection
• Coacervation
 Spray drying
• Commercial process- widely used in large
scale production of encapsulated flavors &
volatiles.
• Predominant encapsulation process.
• Provides high retention of aroma
compounds
• Used for low heat-liable materials.
 Fluidized-Bed coating
• coating is applied onto powder particles.
• powder particles are suspended by an air
stream.
• sprayed with an atomized, coating
material.
• coating material-
Acceptable viscosity
Thermal stable
Able to form film
 Schematics of a fluidized-bed
coater
▪ Top spray fluidized bed coating system.
▪ bottom spraying fluidized bed coating system.
▪ Wurster system
▪ Side or tangential spray/ rotary system
Fluidized bed coater
 Advantages
• This technology allows specific particle size
distribution and low porosities to be designed
into the product high drying rates.
• high thermal efficiency;
• lower capital and maintenance costs;
• ease of control
In the first step, a dispersion is prepared. Dispersion is called a
suspension if the dispersed phase is solid. In this case, we are
going to deposit coating material on the surface of fine solid
particles.
Dispersion is called an emulsion if the dispersed phase is liquid
droplets. In this case, we are going to deposit coating material on
the surface of fine liquid droplets.
 In the 2nd step, polymer molecules from the
solution are desolvated or coacervated.
Co-acervation is different from crystallization or
precipitation or flocculation
 Suitable Co-acervation technique

According to the nature of the polymer,

various changes such as change in
temperature, or change in pH can reduce
the solubility of the polymer. As a result of
this, a large amount of polymer would
separate out in a new phase.

This polymer-rich phase is called as a

coacervate, in which polymer remains in the
amorphous liquid state.
Methods of achieving co-acervation
A. change in temperature
B. addition of incompatible polymer
C. Addition is non-solvent
D. Addition of salt
E. Polymer-polymer interaction
In this step, coacervated polymeric molecules are deposited
on the surface of core materials and form a thin film.