Current Progress and Future Perspectives of High-Load Microencapsulated Oil

Microencapsulated oil, prepared using microencapsulation technology, refers to a solid oil form with a wide range of applications in food formulations. Over the past 5 years, food scientists have been paying attention to microencapsulated oil, which has shown a continuous upward trend, particularly in developing healthier formulas. In this context, developing high-load microencapsulated oil (HLMO) is valuable as it can increase the amount of effective ingredients added to food and simplify ingredient lists. This article comprehensively summarizes dried microencapsulated oil with a load higher than 50% and analyzes the key microstructure that binds the core material. We also discuss the challenges faced and potential technologies for the future of these microencapsulated oils. Current studies have indicated that the oil load of microencapsulated oil prepared by the traditional material/emulsifier-combined method is generally limited to 50%, making it difficult to improve further. Microencapsulated oil prepared by novel wall materials stabilized, interface-strengthened, and Pickering emulsion methods can achieve higher oil loads, even exceeding 90%. The dense surface layer and internal network structure may be the key to their ability to bind high oil, both of which are transformed from the interface of microencapsulated oil precursors. However, over-processing of the interface, although beneficial for oil sealing, can result in poor rehydration performance, and extreme conditions can also damage the core material. In the future, the development of HLMO can focus on designing interfaces to optimize functionality and properties while controlling internal networks to bind oil.