Nanoencapsulation Aids Fortification

The time is right for food and beverage manufacturers to fortify their products. Consumers are more health-conscious and informed than ever, and they expect more nutrition to be packed into the products they buy. The trouble is, many active ingredients are insoluble in water and/or oil, making fortification a challenge in many applications. P.L. Thomas & Co. offers NutraLease as a solution.

“Nutralease allows insoluble materials to become soluble, and thereby increases the activity level of the ingredient,” says Rodger Jonas, national business development manager.

The patent-pending nanoencapsulating technology uses food-grade ingredients to encapsulate a functional ingredient, forming a micelle. The particle size is then reduced to less than 30 nanometers.

By way of comparison, an average sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick. This liquid nanoencapsulation provides a vehicle for the incorporation of otherwise-insoluble active ingredients into foods and beverages. And the tiny particle size more-readily penetrates cell membranes, increasing the bioavailability of healthy compounds once ingested.

“We can take oils, encapsulate them and make them water-soluble,” Jonas notes. “The encapsulated oils can then be added to water, and the water will remain clear. The encapsulation can also be used to make insoluble materials, such as phytosterols, soluble in oil.”

In addition to being transparent in applications, NutraLease leaves no sediment, withstands pasteurization, and is stable down to pH 2. The encapsulation also provides protection against oxidation and can be used to change reaction rates between compounds.

A range of NutraLease concentrates currently are available for beverage and dairy applications. These include nano-sized concentrates of vitamins E, D, A and K, as well as isoflavones, CoQ10, carotenoids and essential oils.

“We have numerous applications, including beverage, flavors, liquid nutraceutical products, sauces and dressings, dairy, and bakery,” says Jonas. “Studies indicate that Nutralease may extend shelf life of the products due to the encapsulation, and it can be used for slow release of flavors and aromas, and to change reaction rates between chemicals.”

P.L. Thomas & Co.
119 Headquarters Plaza 
Morristown, NJ 07960 
Phone: 973/984-0900 
Fax: 973/984-0008 
E-mail: [email protected] 
Website: www.plthomas.com