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Functional Hydrogels in Food Applications: A Review of Crosslinking Technologies, Encapsulation Trends, and Emerging
Sebastián Catalán Briones1, Cassamo U Mussagy2, Fabiane O Farias3
1Escuela de Alimentos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Waddington 716, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 2360100, Chile.
Polymers
|November 13, 2025
Summary
Hydrogels from natural and synthetic polymers offer versatile applications in food and biotech. Future research focuses on smart hydrogels, sustainable production, and advanced processing for broader industrial use.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Biotechnology
- Food Science
Background:
- Hydrogels from natural and synthetic polymers are versatile materials.
- They offer unique opportunities for encapsulating bioactive compounds and creating novel food textures.
- Applications span food science, biotechnology, and health sectors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest advances in hydrogel design and application.
- To highlight the structure-property-performance relationships in hydrogels.
- To identify challenges and emerging directions in hydrogel technology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent advancements in hydrogel science.
- Analysis of polymer structure, crosslinking strategies, and functional performance.
- Examination of industrial scale-up challenges and regulatory considerations.
Main Results:
- Significant progress in hydrogel development, but industrial scale-up faces bottlenecks in stability, reproducibility, and regulatory acceptance.
- Emerging trends include smart hydrogels, sustainable fabrication with biopolymers, and integration with 3D printing and microfluidics.
- Hydrogels can valorize agro-industrial by-products.
Conclusions:
- Hydrogels are a promising platform at the intersection of polymer science, food technology, and biotechnology.
- Multidisciplinary innovation is crucial for developing sustainable, safe, and health-promoting food systems using hydrogels.
- Continued development hinges on addressing scale-up challenges and embracing novel processing technologies.
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