Microencapsulation: its application in nutrition

The development of new functional foods requires technologies for incorporating health-promoting ingredients into food without reducing their bioavailability or functionality. In many cases, microencapsulation can provide the necessary protection for these compounds, but in all cases bioavailability should be carefully studied. The present paper gives an overview of the application of various microencapsulation technologies to nutritionally-important compounds, i.e. vitamins, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, Ca, Fe and antioxidants. It also gives a view on future technologies and trends in microencapsulation technology for nutritional applications.