Chapter 31 - Microencapsulation of vitamins, minerals, and nutraceuticals for food applications

Abstract

Micronutrients are compounds required only in minute amounts that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances essential for proper growth and development. As tiny as the amounts are, however, the consequences of their absence are severe. The food industry has practiced nutraceutical addition into foods for years as a cost-effective means for alleviating micronutrient malnutrition. Some common examples of micronutrients added to foods include iron, iodine, calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and D, as well as several B vitamins. Nutraceuticals are physiologically active components naturally present in foods or added to them as functional ingredients, which have a role in the population’s health and well-being. Examples of nutraceuticals that have been used to develop functional foods include polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and prebiotics. However, some compounds can be classified as either a micronutrient or nutraceutical, or both. An example is β-carotene, which acts as a provitamin, a Vitamin A precursor, and an antioxidant.