Abstract:

Microencapsulation of hydrophobic flavors is of great importance in the flavoring and food industries, since solid or liquid microencapsulated food flavors exhibit good chemical stability and a controlled release. Spray drying is generally used to produce flavor powders in a short time (Gharsallaoui et al. 2010). As an initial step for drying, oil flavors must be emulsified. It is possible to form emulsions that are kinetically stable for a reasonable period of time by including substances known as emulsifiers and/or thickening agents prior to homogenization (McClements 1999). The choice of a wall material for microencapsulation by spray drying is very important for encapsulation efficiency and microcapsule stability. The carrier material should dissolve easily and be water soluble, bland, and inexpensive, have good oil-emulsifying and droplet-stabilizing properties, exhibit low solution viscosities at high solids levels, and have excellent film-forming properties and form amorphous powders upon drying. Carrier systems are usually formulated by combining a number of water-soluble components (carbohydrates, gums, and proteins) (Gharsallaoui et al. 2010). It is well known that, among other factors, the type of carrier governs flavor retention during the spray-drying process (Thijssen 1971); for this reason, disaccharides are sometimes included in commercial formulations to improve retention characteristics. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.