Microencapsulation as a tool for the production of functional extruded foods

Abstract

Cooking-extrusion is a technology used in the production of many foods, including breakfast cereals and snacks. It has many advantages, such as versatility, low cost, high productivity, no effluent generation and is considered a clean technology. However, the use of food sensitive ingredients in extrusion formulations remains a challenge, due to the high temperature and shear conditions employed during the process. Microencapsulation has been successfully used for the protection of sensitive food ingredients during food processing. So, it can be a potential alternative for the production of extruded, functional foods, such as breakfast cereals. Thus, the aim of this project will be to produce breakfast cereals enriched with proanthocyanidin-rich extract in free and encapsulated forms, with the purpose of evaluating the efficiency of the encapsulation process to protect bioactive compounds during extrusion. For the development of this project, it is intended to unite the skills of the applicant and the supervisor, in microencapsulation and extrusion, respectively, as well as the gained experience in the production of microcapsules at the University of São Paulo, and the production of breakfast cereals and their characterization at Purdue University. The execution of this project opens an underexplored area, which could promote further collaboration between Brazil/USA, in addition to the potential for technology transfer between these universities and relevant industries. (AU)