Spray dried β-carotene: Encapsulation, stabilization, and controlled-release

Vitamin A deficiency remains a major public health challenge worldwide, and β-carotene, as a provitamin A carotenoid, is widely used in food fortification to improve vitamin A intake. However, its application in foods is constrained by poor water solubility, limited bioaccessibility, and high susceptibility to heat, light, and oxygen. This review evaluates spray drying as an encapsulation strategy for β-carotene, focusing on the effects of wall materials and operating conditions on powder formation, encapsulation efficiency, stability, and release behavior. It also summarizes the chemical structure, health benefits, and major degradation pathways of β-carotene relevant to food systems. Current studies indicate that spray drying encapsulation can greatly enhance β-carotene performance, with encapsulation efficiencies of up to 99%. Carbohydrate-based carriers, especially maltodextrin, are most commonly used, while proteins such as whey protein isolate are often combined to improve emulsion stability and matrix integrity. Encapsulation has been shown to improve stability during storage and thermal exposure, with some systems retaining more than 99% activity after four weeks at 60°C, while collagen peptide-based crosslinked protein-peptide matrices increased β-carotene bioaccessibility to as high as 82.95% through improved protection during gastric digestion and controlled release in the intestinal phase. Overall, spray drying is a promising and scalable approach for β-carotene delivery in foods, although further research focusing on large-scale continuous processing, cost-effective wall material selection, and long-term stability in complex food matrices is needed to bridge laboratory findings with industrial application.