Microencapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria and its Potential Application in Food Technology

Today the use of probiotic bacteria in food is of increasing interest to provide beneficial health effects in the food industry. Microencapsulation technology can be used to maintain the viability of probiotic bacteria during food product processing and storage. However, it is unknown to consumers how these beneficial bacteria sustain viability in food products and in our bodies. These microcapsules are artificially created to support the growth of the probiotic and provide protection from harsh external environments. Polysaccharides like alginate, gelan, carrageenan, chitosan and starch are the most commonly used materials in microencapsulation of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Techniques commonly applied for probiotic microencapsulation are emulsion, extrusion, spray drying, and adhesion to starch. It is done on bakery products, ready to eat cereals, dairy products etc. Now a days aseptic microencapsulation is introduced to biodegradable material. New creation and future progress will be carried by double microencapsulation, improving strain & culture.

The use of microencapsulated probiotics for controlled release applications is a promising alternative to solving the major problems of organisms that are faced by food industries.

Microencapsulation has proven one of the most potent methods for maintaining high viability and stability of probiotic bacteria, as it protects probiotics both during food processing and storage.

The entrapment in conventions Ca-alginate beads has been a popular method for immobilization of lactic acid bacteria; Use of different encapsulation technologies for protection of health ingredients achieved high ingredient efficiency.