Microencapsulation: An Updated Overview

Abstract

With the help of the cutting-edge food processing technique known as microencapsulation, any substance may be enclosed inside a particular material for creating a tiny sphere with one millimeter to several hundred millimeters diameter. The delicate substances are secluded by microencapsulation, guaranteeing their safe distribution. The substance that is utilized to encapsulate is known as the encapsulant, and the substance that is being encapsulated is called the core. Encapsulants are made of nonpolymeric or polymeric substances such as gelatin, cellulose, and ethylene glycol. Microencapsulation can be done using various methods. Extrusion, spray chilling, coacervation, fluidized bed coating, and spray drying are a few to mention. The proper selection of certain procedures is based on the properties of the intended capsules' form, encapsulant, and core material. Studying encapsulation effectiveness and other capsule physical parameters, such as size, surface tension, morphology, thermal behavior, hygroscopicity, solubility, & hydrophobicity, can be done to characterize and optimize effective and successful encapsulation. When developing a purposeful food or as a tool for enhancing existing foods, the microencapsulation method is widely employed in foods. This review critically examines and unifies the numerous facts of microencapsulation depending upon an elementary consideration of encapsulation with most latest findings of research published in the literature.