Testing tools and physical, chemical, and microbiological characterization of microencapsulated systems

Microencapsulation is a versatile technology and is the preferred means to protect volatile flavor compounds. Encapsulated flavors comprise about 20%–25% of the total flavor market. For this reason, much effort has focused on improving flavor encapsulation performance over the past few decades. There are two main objectives pursued through encapsulation: (1) protect the flavor compounds during storage (based on the use of amorphous carbohydrates) and (2) control the release of the flavors during food processing or end-use. Extensive encapsulation technologies (spray-drying, spray-cooling, coacervation, melt extrusion, fluidized bed, molecular inclusion, freeze-drying, electro-spinning, electric-spraying, and microbial cells) are available, which can provide specific functionalities (physicochemical stability, safety stability, and organoleptic qualities). The market distribution of encapsulated flavors according to the production technologies is 80%–90% by spray-drying, 3%–9% by spray chilling, 2%–4% by melt extrusion, and <1% by melt injection, and other technologies produce 1%.