Nano– and Microencapsulation for Foods

Nano– and microencapsulation are increasingly being utilized in the pharmaceutical, textile, agricultural, and food industries. In pharmaceuticals, encapsulation is a familiar concept, allowing for the slow release of a dose of a drug into the body. The same principle can be applied to foods to better control their various characteristics, for example, their bioavailability, bioactivity, or toxicity. By controlling the rate at which a food material is released to the body, it is possible to more accurately predict and measure the body’s reactions to it. Flavours, minerals, lipids, and probiotics may all be encapsulated for controlled release. A particular area of interest is functional foods (foods which can bestow a health benefit beyond their nutritional value alone) – encapsulation allows the controlled delivery and release of functional food ingredients, which helps researchers to better understand their specific health benefits. Nano– and Microencapsulation for Foods highlights the principles, applications, toxicity, and regulation of nano– and microencapsulated foods. Section I describes the theories and concepts of nano– and microencapsulation for foods adapted from pharmaceutical areas, rationales and new strategies of encapsulation, and protection and controlled release of food ingredients. Section II examines the nano– and microencapsulation of food ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, phytochemical, lipid, probiotics, and flavours. Section III focuses on the bioactivity, potential toxicity and regulation of nanomaterial, and encapsulated ingredients. This book will be highly beneficial to researchers, academics, and anyone seeking information about current trends in the nanofood science sector. It will also help food companies to develop new nanotechnology for major problems, such as the development of functional coatings to enhance long term stability of food products. As well as applications to foods and food products, the book also includes a chapter on the application of nano– and microencapsulation to food packaging materials, enhancing the book’s food industry focus. Overall, this book represents a new base for the development of nanofoods and nanomaterials, and an important reference source for the nanoresearch sector.

Hae–Soo Kwak is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Dean of the Graduate School of Industryat Sejong University in Seoul, Korea. Dr Kwak has devoted his research career in nano– and microencapsulation, nanoparticles in food, and dairy products research for the past 25 years, publishing more than 450 revered journal articles, book chapters, patents, invited papers and abstracts in national and international conferences