Food Encapsulation: Capturing One Substance by Another

Encapsulation and microencapsulation are fascinating and versatile technologies that offer many opportunities for food processors and formulators. In general, encapsulation means the enclosing or capturing of one substance by another. The core or base may be a liquid or solid, and the coating or matrix may be a polymer, carbohydrate, or other material.

The purpose may be to protect the core from the environment (moisture or oxygen), protect it from other ingredients, mask flavor or odor, make a l…