12 - A Step Forward on Micro- and Nanotechnology in Beverage Industry

Abstract

The use of micro- and nanotechnology in the beverage industry had a remarkable growth in the recent years, and is expected to have a major impact on the beverage market in the near future because it may offer many potential benefits for the consumers and manufacturers. The dimensions and physicochemical properties exhibited by materials at micro (10−6m) and nano (10−9m) scale allow their inclusion in various beverages processes, leading to novel material functionalities and applications, showing great advantages than those at the macroscale. Due to their small size, micro- and nanosystems can enhance solubility, bioavailability, and sensorial properties (e.g., mask unpleasant flavors), as well as prevent undesirable physical and chemical reactions and bioactive compounds degradation. This has led to the development of novel and high-performance systems using bio-based materials for beverage industry in several fields such as encapsulation of bioactive compounds (e.g., lipids, vitamins, peptides, antioxidants, and probiotics), safety (e.g., detection of contaminants and microorganisms), and processing (e.g., improvement of texture, color, flavor, and aroma). The increasing number of publications and patents prove the fast growth of this topic in beverage industry, confirmed by the significant number of companies using micro- and nanotechnology in the development of their products. This chapter will provide an overview of the latest evolutions and expectations of forthcoming developments involving the use of bio-based micro- and nanosystems to improve beverage safety, sensory, and nutritional quality. Examples of commercially available beverages products containing bioactive micro- and nanosystems will be also provided, together with a revision of the main challenges for their industrial use and future trends, the potential health effects and risks for human consumption, and the regulatory and safety issues involved.