Abstract
Currently, nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds is promising, and is one of the methods that has been proven very effective. The development of food-grade nanoemulsions is in a state of constant innovation due to the interesting features that this method of encapsulation has, such as small droplet size, kinetic stability and appearance. With this technology, it is possible to control some food properties, such as texture, taste and stability. In this article, we present a review of the most commonly used methods in the creation of nanoemulsions, the recent developments of these dispersions, the relevant applications of nanoemulsions in food matrices, the most commonly used food-grade materials and the functionality of nanoemulsions, which are designed primarily to encapsulate compounds with biological activity. Nanoemulsions have been shown to be effective in preventing degradation and improving the bioavailability of bioactive compounds, such as oil-soluble vitamins, antimicrobials, flavours and antioxidants. At the end of this article, facts of interest about acceptance issues and nanotechnology regulatory policies in the food industry are presented.
Highlights
The word ”nano” is used in all areas of science and technologythat deal with the characterization, manufacture and operation of structures, devices or materials with sizes on the nanometre scale (Duncan, 2011; Pradhan et al, 2015)
Zhang, Fang, and Liu (2017) prepared nanoemulsions to encapsulate clove and cinnamon essential oils using Tween 80 and ethanol as a surfactant and cosurfactant, respectively. These nanoemulsions showed high antimicrobial activities against four tested microorganisms (E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, S. typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus) when the nanoemulsions were at low concentrations, which shows that these compounds potentiate their effect when they are mixed and encapsulated in a stable system
There are some reports from the media about the possible adverse health effects of nanotechnology, and this has resulted in increased negative perceptions about this field and the food industry
Summary
The word ”nano” is used in all areas of science and technologythat deal with the characterization, manufacture and operation of structures, devices or materials with sizes on the nanometre scale (Duncan, 2011; Pradhan et al, 2015). One of the main advantages of using nanoemulsions is that the food manufacturer can improve some properties, such as appearance, texture and/or taste, through careful selection of the ingredients and the processes used to make them (McClements, 2015). Another advantage of nanoemulsion use is that emulsions can have better stability against the coalescence of droplets (McClements & Rao, 2011). Droplets are transparent when dispersed, so they are suitable for addition to food without modifying the appearance characteristics (Mason, Wilking, Meleson, Chang, & Graves, 2006); the appearance of a colloidal dispersion tends to become translucent or transparent when the particle radius falls below approximately 100 nm. The present work aims to review the application trends of nanoemulsions in food, the materials used, and the risks and regulations to consider in the use of nanotechnology
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