Nanotechnology in Foods - Nanotechnologies in Food and Agriculture - page 8

nanoencapsulation is currently the largest area of nanotechnology application in the
food industry, and numbers of products based on nanocarrier technology are
already available on the market. Nanoencapsulation can reduce the amount of
active ingredients needed in formulation and so the cost (Huang et al. 2009 ).
Table 1.2 lists the products reported with such nanomaterials.
1.6.1 Nanoencapsulation of Probiotics
According to the FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) ( 2010 ), probiotics are
defined as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts
confer a health benefit on the host.” They can be added in fermented milk, yogurts,
cheese, puddings, fruit-based drinks, etc. Nanoencapsulation can be used for
designer probiotic bacterial preparations for delivery at specific parts of the gastro-
intestinal tract where they interact with specific receptors. These nanoencapsulated
designer probiotic bacterial preparations may act as de novo vaccines, with the
capability of modulating immune responses (Vidhyalakshmi et al. 2009 ).
1.7 Nanoemulsions for Foods
Nanoemulsion is an example of nanotechnology applications to an existing process
to benefit the food industry. Nanoemulsions due to small droplet size possess
unique rheological and textural properties to foodstuffs which is desirable in the
food industry. Making nanoemulsions in food products can facilitate less fat use
without compromising creaminess. Consumers will have healthier option from this
technology. Low-fat nanostructured mayonnaise, spreads, and ice creams are few
such examples (Chaudhry et al. 2008 ). Fat can be reduced from 16 to 1 % without
compromising taste, texture, and quality by making nanoemulsions in ice cream
(Hall 2002 ). A 2.5 % fat ice cream is commercially available worldwide from a
recognized premium ice cream brand which claims to have no flavor defects due to
the low fat content; however, no nanotechnology claim is made by the product.
More choice of such low-fat ice cream is already available in the USA with many
brands. As the size of the droplets in an emulsion is reduced, the less likely the
emulsion will break down and separate. Hence, the need of certain stabilizers in a
product may be reduced. In the coming time, nanoemulsions will revolutionize the
production of spreads and mayonnaise, though they are in development stages
(Cushen et al. 2012 ).