Role of encapsulation in functional beverages

Abstract

Encapsulation technologies in functional beverage market have been increasing according to the demand for enhanced flavor and aroma, increased bioavailability, and targeted delivery of bioactive compounds to enhance their health-promoting effects, longer shelf life, cost effectiveness, and among others. Flavor and taste of functional beverages have been improved using encapsulation technology creating innovative products. Specialized characteristics have been added to functional beverages such as enhanced flavor, masked unpleasant odor, long lasting, sustained and burst, or quick release of flavor. Functional ingredients are incorporated into beverages using encapsulation technology to improve their health-promoting properties. They also allow the protection of probiotics, readily oxidable components such as phenolic compounds, vitamins, and unsaturated lipids. Moreover, encapsulation technology has increased the beverage alternatives for consumers with diverse characteristics such as color and flavor differences, foam-producing, cooling and warming effects long-lasting and slow-releasing flavor, multicolor hydrocolloids, intelligent packaging, and effervescence. There is a growing interest of functional beverages with health-promoting and value-added encapsulation technologies that take a role in targeted delivery of bioactive compounds. Besides, encapsulation technologies are taking great attention for nutrigenomics and metabolomics for production of functional beverages specific for individual genetic prototypes and specific metabolic requirements. Many new encapsulation methods have been developed such as bioactive tagging such as PEGylation, nanoemulsions, and electrospinning for producing nanofibers and nanotubes, in addition to traditional encapsulation methods such as spray drying, extrusion, and coacervation. This chapter highlights the encapsulation methods and materials, their functions, and applications in the functional beverage industry.