AU2021105510A4 - Compositions and green technology method for the fortification of solid and semi-solid food products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for the fortification of solid and semi-solid food products enriched using encapsulated nutraceuticals, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, proteins, polypeptides, essential fatty acids, phenolic compounds, antioxidants, immune boosters, any other bioactive material and variations thereof. This fortification or enrichment is mainly attained using safe, stable and efficient micro- and nano-encapsulation methods, prepared by green-technologies, to preserve bioactive compounds during process, storage and gut digestive conditions. The encapsulation procedure also provides sustained release of the encapsulated material after consumption, that would help improve metabolism and avoid potential adverse effects of overdoses. The encapsulation technology, comprised of multi component capsules with a plurality of layers, can encapsulate a single or a number of bioactive compounds, also improves the bioavailability of such bioactive material. These fortified / enriched products present an improvement in nutritional attribute and health benefits, without alteration in their sensual qualities, compared to the conventional food products. 2

Description

Title:

Compositions and green technology method for the fortification of solid

and semi-solid food products

Inventors:

Marcel Reza MOZAFARI , Gisoo MALEKI , Zeinab BAHRAMI

Affiliation of Inventors:

Australasian Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (ANNI), Monash University

LPO, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.

Emails ofInventors:

Marcel Reza MOZAFARI dr.m.r.mozafari@gmail.com

Gisoo MALEKI may.maleki27@yahoo.com

Zeinab BAHRAMI zbahrami_1991@yahoo.com

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention relates to fortification of edible, solid and semi-solid food

products such as biscuits, crackers, muffins, pasta, noodles, snack bars, yogurt, salad

dressing, mayonnaise, butter spread, ice creams, and sauce enriched with encapsulated

bioactive material, molecules and compounds.

[002] The mentioned bioactive material, molecules and compounds include, but are not

limited to, nutraceuticals, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, proteins, polypeptides,

essential fatty acids, phenolic compounds, antioxidants, immune-boosters and variations

thereof.

[003] These modified products, within the scope of the present invention, offer an

improvement in nutritional quality when compared to the conventional solid, semi-solid and

other food products.

[004] The disclosures herein relate to the enhancement of desirable characteristics in solid

and semi-solid food products through the incorporation of beneficial bioactive ingredients.

More specifically, it relates to such edible products including, but not limited to, biscuits,

muffins, pasta, noodles, granola and cereal bars, nut bars, fruit bars, chocolate bars, milk /

dairy bars, yogurt, mayonnaise, butter spread, ice creams, and sauce as well as other similar

dried and semi-dried food products. These modified products show an improvement in

nutritional quality and health benefits while maintaining sensory qualities and commercially

acceptable shelf-life compared to conventional products.

[005] As clarified in the literature, the mentioned solid / dried foods are characterized as

having a water activity (a,) below 0.6, which inhibits microbial growth, provided that the

packaging and storage conditions prevent moisture pick-up by the product (1). Accordingly,

semi-solid food products will have a higher water content.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[006] Dried foods, fruits and nuts have been used as human food for a long time. All over

the world several ready-to-eat products including biscuits and snack bars such as cereal bars,

nut bars, dried fruit bars, dairy bars, and alike, are prepared / manufactured and consumed.

Snack bars, as a means of example, are ready-to-eat convenient products occupying large

space in the consumer market, which not only satisfy the hunger, but prove as a quality

source of nutrients and a convenient means of replacement of a meal.

[007] There is an increasing recognition of the need to consume healthy and functional

foods. In the field of dried and snack foods, there has been a recent focus on producing foods

which have a significant content of beneficial nuts and cereals and have a high nutritional

content.

[008] Several bioactives may be added to dried foods, as well as solid and semi-solid food

products, for their fortification such as vitamins: including C, B and A; omega-3 fatty acids:

including eicosa pentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosa hexaenoic acid (DHA); minerals

including calcium, zinc, iron, and copper; probiotics; prebiotics; peptides and proteins as well

as phenolic compounds, immune-boosters and antioxidant molecules.

[009] Certain food bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals frequently need to be

protected from environmental factors and conditions such as temperature, light, pH, oxygen

and enzymatic degradation due to their chemical and physical instability. A widely employed

technology to protect these compounds is the encapsulation in micro or nano-scale vectors.

[010] The encapsulation of nutraceuticals or active ingredients would allow their

incorporation in food matrices to provide new products possessing enhanced nutritional

values and with higher absorption through digestive system. Encapsulation also provides sustained release of the encapsulated bioactive material after consumption, which would help improve metabolism and avoid potential adverse effects of overdoses.

[011] It is desirable to provide arrangements for incorporation of bioactive compounds

into dried and semi-dried foods and snacks (hence their fortification) via encapsulation

methodologies. Food fortification is a means, which allows one to have an assortment of

foods enriched and supplemented with different micro and macro nutrients.

[012] It should be noted that functional foods differ from fortified foods in the sense that

the latter have a greater amount of certain ingredients in their composition. While the

functional foods have a higher quality compared to common foods, fortified foods are even of

more health-benefit compared to other types and forms of food products (2).

[013] The present invention, hence, aims for manufacturing fortified foods using efficient,

safe and food-grade encapsulation systems prepared by green-technologies on the industrial

scales.

[014] The words "fortification" and "enrichment" are used interchangeably within the

context of the present invention, and similarly, the words "fortified" and "enriched".

[015] Such encapsulation technologies are known to improve the bioavailability of food

material, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and alike, significantly (3, 4).

[016] The ingredients used for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds generally

comprise polymers, biopolymers, metals, surfactants, oils, lipids and phospholipids.

However, only biocompatible, safe and GRAS (generally recognized as safe) ingredients are

being employed within the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[017] It is one object of the present invention to provide novel solid food product

compositions with enhanced health benefits.

[018] It is another object of the present invention to provide novel semi-solid food product

formulations possessing enhanced health benefits.

[019] It is another object of the present invention to provide novel nut bar formulations

containing several nuts such as pistachio, almond, hazelnut, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame

seed, flaxseed, or alike, or variations thereof.

[020] In one particular embodiment of the disclosure, a biscuit, muffin, pasta, noodle or

snack bar, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter spread, ice creams, and sauce is fortified with

one or more active material of nutritional value. The snack bar includes a binder material and

a cereal, nut or dried fruit mixture and may include dairy products. The binder material

includes bioactive compounds and / or nutraceuticals.

[021] In another embodiment of the disclosure, a fortified snack bar including bioactive

materials is provided. The snack bar includes a binder material and a cereal, nut or dried fruit

mixture. The binder material includes a bioactive compound or nutraceutical, at least one

sweetener, and at least one humectant, and may contain at least one preservative.

[022] In one aspect, one or several additives may be added to dried foods for their

fortification. For instance, adding vitamins B such as folic acid (B9) or vitamin A, essential

fatty acids such as omega-3, minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, and copper, probiotics,

prebiotics, antioxidants, immune-boosters and proteins / polypeptides.

[023] In another aspect, food products can be fortified using encapsulation of the

bioactive compounds. This method can be applied via micro- and nano-encapsulation

technologies.

[024] To achieve the best outcome, each bioactive should be encapsulated via right

method in appropriate proportions.

[025] In another aspect, two or more bioactive material can be encapsulated in the same

capsule simultaneously, hence providing enhanced health benefit or synergistic effect by

enrichment of solid and semi-solid food products using such encapsulation systems.

[026] Another object of current invention is to maximize the bioavailability of the active

compounds employing the mentioned encapsulation systems.

[027] Only biocompatible, safe and GRAS (generally recognized as safe) ingredients are

being utilized for the manufacture of the mentioned encapsulation systems within the present

invention.

[028] It is an object of the present invention to use safe, biocompatible, non-toxic and

environment-friendly solvents in the method of preparation of the encapsulation

compositions.

[029] An object of the current invention is to utilize multi-component encapsulation

systems with a plurality of layers protecting the active molecules during food manufacturing

process all the way to consumption.

[030] The mentioned encapsulation systems herein, are manufactured using safe, scalable,

environment-friendly and green-technologies.

[031] Said technologies are simple and easily applicable at industrial scale and

advantageously do not include the use of potentially toxic solvents (such as methanol,

chloroform, diethyl ether, dimethyl ether), extreme pH conditions or harsh procedures such as

sonication or high-shear force homogenization, usually employed in the manufacture of such

encapsulation systems.

DEFINITIONS

[032] The following definitions are provided to aid those skilled in the art to more readily

understand and appreciate the full scope of the present disclosure. Nevertheless, as indicated

in the definitions provided below, the definitions provided are not intended to be exclusive,

unless so indicated. Rather, they are preferred definitions, provided to focus the skilled

artisan on various illustrative embodiments of the disclosure.

[033] The terms solid and dried foods refer to, within the scope of the present invention, a

product that have a water activity (a,) below 0.6 (1). Accordingly, semi-solid food products

will have a higher content of water molecules.

[034] Examples of such solid and semi-solid products may include, along with other

related products, biscuits, muffins, cakes, pasta, noodles, granola and cereal bars, nut bars,

fruit bars, chocolate bars, milk / dairy bars, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter spread, cheese,

ice creams, different sauces as well as other similar dried and semi-dried edible food products

and foodstuffs.

[035] As used herein the terms "cereal bar" and "granola bar" refer to any food products

including at least one type of grain or cereal ingredient in the shape of bar that has been

compressed into sheet form and cut into individual bars.

[036] As used herein the term "nut bar" refers to any food product including at least one

type of nut as well as cereal product such as puffed rice or corn in the shape of bar that has

been compressed into sheet form and cut into individual bars.

[037] As used herein the term "binder" refers to a liquid and sticky material which hold all

dry mix together and let them be shaped.

[038] As used herein the term "bioactive compound" refers to a type of chemical found in

plants and certain foods which has action in the body that may promote good health and

improve life quality.

[039] As used herein the term "nutraceutical" refers to a nutritious compound which

claims physiological benefits (5). They exist in the same category as dietary supplements and

food additives by the FDA.

[040] The term "encapsulation", as used within the present invention, refers to the

confinement (or coating) of an individual molecule, or several molecules, within a larger

molecule or molecular assembly (6). Micro-coating, or nano-coating, both refer to the coating

of microscopic particles with another material or structure (7).

[041] As used herein, the term "encapsulation" will be understood to include the terms

"microencapsulation" and "nanoencapsulation" referring to the process of encapsulating

"core" material within a capsule, coat, shell or carrier vector.

[042] "Controlled release" or "sustained release" terminologies are used herein to refer to

such formulations designed to gradually release a bioactive agent in the body in a prolonged

and controlled manner, for which the term "prolonged release" can also be used.

[043] The term "fortification", "biofortification" or "enrichment" are used herein to refer

to the incorporation or addition of one or more nutrients to foods irrespective of whether or

not the nutrients were originally present in the food. Fortification is a means of improving the

nutritional status of a population or specific population groups (8).

[044] The term "multi-component" in the context of encapsulation refers to such capsules

made employing multiple components from the group of chemicals consisting polymers,

biopolymers, surfactants, phospholipids, lipids, sterols, phytosterols, peptides, proteins,

carbohydrates and alike.

[045] Herein, the term "plurality of layers", in the context of encapsulation systems, refers

to any capsule or carrier vector composed of more than one shell or coat or bilayer

surrounding the encapsulated material.

[046] The term "encapsulation composition", as used herein, refers to the combination of

capsules, coats, shells, bilayers, their solvents, excipients and the encapsulated material or

materials.

[047] The term "aqueous solution", used herein, refers to a solution in which water is the

main dissolution medium or solvent. When a substance dissolves in a liquid, the mixture is

called a solution.

[048] Within the scope of the present invention, the term "green technology", for which

"clean technology" is a synonym, is the development, manufacture and application of

compositions, products and systems with no negative impact from human activities.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[049] In the following detailed description, specific details are set forth by way of

examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the current invention. However, it

should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present disclosures may be practiced to

other food products and may vary without such details.

[050] The skilled artisan will recognize from the disclosures herein that the invention has

applicability to all other similar food products being solid or semi-solid and is not limited to

the examples given.

[051] The examples provided are among the most complicated food products and are also

among the most difficult to prepare and be fortified and as such other products in the range,

and within the scope of the current invention, should be more readily attainable.

Cereal / Nut / Dried Fruit Mixture

[052] The present invention provides novel solid and semi-solid food products including

cereal bars, dairy bars, fruit bars and nut bar formulations, enriched with health-benefit

bioactive material. As mentioned above, the snack bars of the present disclosure include a

cereal and/or nut and/or dried fruits mixture, binder material and chocolate (for taste, as well

as enrobing and decoration).

[053] In one embodiment, the snack bars of the present disclosure made of dry ingredients

typically include a cereal and/or nut and/or dried fruits mixture. It is well-noted that, during

the preparation process, these kind of snack bars are not cooked after mixing with binder and

are cold-formed. Therefore, all dry ingredients should be cooked, prepared or roasted in

advance. The cereal mixture can include one or more grain or cereal ingredient, such as at

least one of rolled oats, nugget/crisp particulates, dry-milled corn meal, sphered puffed corn, wheat, rice, barley, and combinations thereof. The nut bar mixture can include one or more nut such as pistachio, almond, hazelnut, cashew, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, as well as cereal ingredient. The snack bars may contain one or more dried fruits such as raisin, dried cranberry, apple, fig, apricot, peach, strawberry, etc.

[054] In one embodiment, it is well noted for most cereal bars that multi grains are mainly

used, which include corn flakes (plain or with chocolate), puffed rice (crispy rice), puffed

corn (sphere), and oats (typically rolled oats). The size and percentage of their usage depend

on the texture and flavor aimed in different formulations.

[055] In another embodiment, nut bars comprise at least one type of nut as well as cereal

mainly sphered puffed corn (size: 3mm). Cereal is added to improve the texture and make the

product more crispy, make it more nutritious, and reduce the product cost.

[056] Dry content of the cereal / nut bars typically comprises 45-60% (weight percent) of

the final product.

Binder material

[057] As noted above, all dry mixture should be hold together and shaped using the

binder. Ingredients used to produce binder vary depending on the formulation of the aimed

product. However, these ingredients mainly include at least one type of sweetener, oil,

emulsifier (such as lecithin), humectant (such as glycerin), hydrocolloids, and alike.

[058] The sweeteners are added to the binder material to improve flavor and texture of the

final snack bar. Sweeteners can also help to control the moisture balance of the product.

Suitable sweeteners can include, but not limited to, sugar, corn syrups, glucose syrups and

sugar alcohols.

[059] Lecithin may also be included in the binder material to provide improved stability

of oil/water emulsion. Furthermore, lecithin may provide improved lubricity and control moisture migration within the snack bars. Another ingredient that can aid in controlling moisture migration of the snack bars, thereby preventing them from drying out and becoming hard and brittle with age, is one or more humectant. Particularly preferred for use in the binder material as a humectant is glycerin.

Additional ingredients

[060] In addition to the primary ingredients (i.e., binder material and cereal/nut mixture,

etc.) of the snack bars described above, the snack bars may comprise additional optional

components to further improve various properties of the products. Some potential additional

components include hydrocolloids, flavoring agents, shortening agents, fruit pieces, coloring

agents, and combinations thereof. These optional components can be incorporated into either

the binder material or the cereal mixture or can be incorporated into both the binder material

and the cereal mixture.

[061] Regarding dryness of the snack bars during storage as a defect, hydrocolloids can be

added to the binder to increase the shelf life. Hydrocolloids can act as a softening agent and

help moisture control in snack bars. Actually, hydrocolloids prevent moisture migration

during storage of the snack bars and preserve the soft texture during storage.

[062] Suitable hydrocolloids can include, carrageenan, xanthan, guar, carboxymethyl

cellulose (CMC) as well as gelatin. The quantity of the incorporation of these hydrocolloids

to the product may differ. They can be added from 0.05 to 0.15% (w/w) to the binder

formulation.

[063] Suitable flavoring agents can be included, for example, cocoa powder, peanut

flavor, vanilla, chocolate, fruit flavoring, and caramel. Moreover, encapsulated flavors might

be employed since they are more preserved and possess controlled release properties.

[064] Fruit pieces may include, but not limited to, raisins, cranberry, coconut flake, dried

apple flake, strawberry flake, apricot flake, peach flake and banana flake.

[065] Coloring agents can include powder and/or liquid food-grade colors which are

mostly added to the binder.

Fortification of food products

[066] In addition to the above ingredients in one embodiment, the binder material may be

fortified with one or more of vitamins B such as folic acid (B9), or vitamin A; minerals such

as calcium, zinc, iron, and copper; prebiotics, proteins, essential fatty acids such as omega-3,

immune-boosters and antioxidants.

[067] Different vitamins may be added to the products to be fortified including

hydrophilic vitamin B such as folic acid (B9) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or hydrophobic

vitamin A or vitamin D. Folic acid or vitamin B 9 is an essential vitamin that plays pivotal

roles in nucleic acid biosynthesis and protein metabolism. Vitamin A is essential for healthy

eyes and vision, growth of bones, body's natural defense system, cell growth and

reproduction.

[068] Minerals are other nutrients used for the fortification of health-benefit food

products.

[069] Calcium is an important structural component of the skeletal system. Although an

adequate intake of calcium helps to maintain bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis,

many women do not meet recommended daily intakes of calcium. However, lactose

intolerance, milk protein allergies, or food preferences may lead many women to exclude

important dairy sources of dietary calcium. Therefore, intake of calcium from fortified non

dairy sources has been recently advocated (9).

[070] It is believed that zinc, iron, and copper deficiencies are widespread globally,

particularly in children and women living in low- and middle-income countries. Fortification

of commonly used foods with zinc, iron, and copper alone or in combination with other

vitamins and minerals will be an effective intervention to increase their intake in consumers.

These combinations are known by skilled in the art to be able to act as immune-boosters in

facilitating the immune system to fight against pathogens and different health issues,

including the COVID-19 disease and its causative Corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), through the

diet with food or food supplements or fortified food products (10).

[071] Incorporation of probiotics into snack bars is desirable since it can combine the

healthy formulation of a cereal mixture, the added value of prebiotic ingredients, and the

beneficial effects of the probiotic bacteria.

[072] Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients, usually carbohydrates, which are

delivered to the large bowel in order to provide fermentable substrates for selected bacteria,

stimulating their growth and/or activity. Some specific ingredients, such as inulin or beta

glucan, can be added to a cereal mixture in order to promote a selective growth stimulation

over Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. thus increasing their metabolic activity after

ingestion as well as their stability throughout product storage. All hydrocolloids which may

be added to the binder of snack bars such as carrageenan, xanthan, guar and carboxymethyl

cellulose (CMC) could be regarded as prebiotics. Insoluble food fibers, such as cellulose, are

also classified as prebiotics.

[073] Protein quantity of solid and semi-solid food containing cereals, nuts and dried

fruits are not adequate as they are deficient in essential amino acids such as lysine,

methionine, etc. However, addition of legume protein, defatted soy flour, soy concentrates

and isolates, to products such as biscuits, muffins, noodles, pasta and snack bars improves their overall protein quality. In addition, whey protein is a good source of polypeptides as a perfect ingredient to fortify the mentioned products.

[074] One significant group of essential fatty acids is omega-3 fatty acids.

Supplementation of omega-3 through intake of fortified foods will meet the body's metabolic

needs more adequately than dietary supplements or pills. Omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA

and DHA, are beneficial for the healthy functioning of the heart, brain and nervous system.

[075] Polyphenols are secondary metabolites present in all vascular plants and constitute a

large family of ubiquitous and varied substances which possess one or several benzenic

cycle(s) in common. The mechanism of action of polyphenols in the body is diverse. Among

their properties, the strong antioxidant potency of polyphenols is probably the most

documented.

[076] Exemplary antioxidants, which will further improve stability of the fatty acids

within the products, include: tocopherols (Vitamin E derivatives), ethoxyquin,

anthocyanidins, catechins, butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene

(BHT), tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), and the like, and combinations thereof. One

particularly preferred antioxidant for use in the binder material is TBHQ. Specifically, TBHQ

has shown antioxidative properties to control oxidation of the exposed nuts and other high fat

ingredients that may be included in the products of the present disclosure.

[077] The above said ingredients of bioactive agents, alone or in combination, will be

used to fortify the food products after being encapsulated to preserve their functionality and

provide them with sustained release. Fortification can be performed by adding the

encapsulation composition to the binder (in case of exemplified nut-bars), flour, dough, the

dairy component, or mixtures thereof. The combined overall concentration of bioactive

ingredients may be from 10 to 50%, from 12 to 45%, from 14 to 40%, from 16 to 38%, from

18 to 36%, from 20 to 34%, from 22 to 32%, or from 24 to 30% by weight of said

encapsulation composition.

Encapsulation of bioactive compounds

[078] The mentioned nutrients, nutraceuticals and bioactives do not remain in the food for

an acceptable period of time or may react with the other food components / ingredients

causing undesirable effects or unwanted reactions. Encapsulation is a technology that can

improve the retention time of the nutrient in the food product and allow controlled release at

specific times, during food consumption and / or in the digestive system.

[079] Another object of the present invention is to maximize the bioavailability of

bioactive compounds and hence minimize their wastage through the digestive system. To

address this issue, it is an embodiment of current invention to utilize multi-component

encapsulation systems with a plurality of layers protecting the active molecules during food

manufacturing process all the way to consumption. The mentioned encapsulation systems

provide simultaneous coating of multiple bioactive material and are resistant to gastric and

intestinal conditions.

[080] The bioavailability of core material can be increased by several mechanisms,

including: by means of the integral release of the encapsulated material in the intestine;

degradation of the encapsulated material minimized at the origin, in the food matrix and/or by

storage; as well as by the protection offered against the acidic conditions of the stomach; and

also, by means of an effect of release of the core material in a controlled manner.

[081] In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of

producing an orally-administered formulation composed of the food product and the

encapsulation system used to fortify the mentioned food product, the method comprising:

preparing a first capsule composition, also referred herein as inner capsule; preparing a second capsule composition, also referred herein as outer capsule; encapsulating the bioactive ingredient, or more than one bioactive component, into an inner capsule; and encapsulating or coating the inner capsule composition into an outer capsule.

[082] The first capsule composition may be comprising one or more of polymers,

biopolymers, surfactants, lipids, phospholipids, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, sterols,

phytosterols, polyols and alike, as main or auxiliary building blocks. The combined

concentrations of said ingredients, in the final encapsulation composition, are typically

chosen from 0.1% to 40% (w/w). Preferably the said concentration would be between 1% to

%, or between 2% to 5% (w/w).

[083] The second capsule composition may be comprising one or more of zein, pectin,

CMC, a basic amino acid such as histidine, lysine, or arginine. It may also be composed of

hyaluronan, polyethylene glycol, chitosan, a whey protein, Eudraguard or alike and mixtures

thereof. The combined concentrations of such molecules, in the final encapsulation

composition, are typically from 0.1% to 40% (w/w). Preferably the said concentration would

be between 1% to 10% (w/w), and more preferably between 2% to 5% by weight of said

encapsulation composition.

[084] Encapsulation of hydrophilic bioactives in the inner capsule can be achieved by

mixing the bioactive with capsule ingredients in an aqueous solution at a mixing rate of

between 500 to 1000 rpm, at temperatures between 40-70°C, for a duration of not more than

one hour. The aqueous solution may be chosen from one or a combination of distilled water,

reverse-osmosis water, a buffer solution, a saline solution, aqueous mono- or di-saccharide

solution, polyhydric alcohol, glycerol, propylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

[085] Encapsulation of hydrophobic bioactives in the inner capsule can be achieved by

mixing the said material with hydrophobic or amphiphilic ingredients of the capsule - such as lipids, phospholipids, sterols, phytosterols, or combinations thereof - with a polyol or polyhydric alcohol, at a mixing rate of between 100 to 200 rpm, at temperatures between 40

°C. In the next step the said mixture is introduced to an aqueous solution with a

corresponding temperature but with higher agitation rates of 500 to 1000 rpm for a time

period of not more than one hour.

[086] Encapsulation or coating of the inner capsule composition into the outer capsule can

be achieved by dissolving the said ingredients of the second capsule in a mixture of vinegar

(acetic acid) and water, or a buffer (such as PBS). Acetic acid is used in a volume range

between 0.1 to 1.0% (v/v). To this solution, inner capsules, containing bioactive agents being

hydrophilic or lipophilic, are added drop-wise slowly under stirring at 50-100rpm at

temperatures between 20-30°C. The stirring will be maintained for a period not more than 1

hour. For the encapsulation composition to stabilize before use, it is best for it to be kept

under an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen, in a dark glass container, in a refrigerator (3

C) overnight.

[087] Each of the inner or outer capsules can be composed of a coat consisting of one or

multiple layers of molecules. This will result in the encapsulation composition of the present

invention to possess plurality of layers, hence more efficient in oral delivery of bioactive

material via food fortification. In case of amphiphilic compounds (such as lipids and

phospholipids, detergents, surfactants and amphiphilic polymers), even the inner capsule can

be "multi-lamellar", as is the case with MLV liposomes. The chemical basis for this

molecular arrangement, giving rise to stable encapsulated products, within capsules

composed of plurality of layers, is driven by non-covalent interactions such as the

hydrophilic-hydrophobic effect, van der Waals interactions, hydration, electrostatic forces,

steric and depletion interactions, coordination bonding, a - a staking and solvation.

References

1. Fellows, P. J. (2009). Dehydration. Food Processing Technology: Principles and

Practice,3rd ed. (pp. 481-524). Woodhead Publishing, Oxford, UK.

2. Telessy, I. (2019). Nutraceuticals. In R. B. Singh, R. R. Watson, & T. Takahashi

(Eds.), The Role of Functional Food Security in Global Health, (pp. 409-421).

Academic Press, London, UK.

3. Augustin, M. A., Sanguansri, L., & Lockett, T. (2013). Nano-and micro-encapsulated

systems for enhancing the delivery of resveratrol. Annals of the New York Academy of

Sciences, 1290(1), 107-112.

4. Canizales, J. R., Rodriguez, G. V., Avila, J. D., Saldana, A. P., Parrilla, E. A., Ochoa,

M. V., & Aguilar, G. A. (2018). Encapsulation to protect different bioactives to be

used as nutraceuticals and food ingredients. Bioactive Molecules in Food. Springer,

Cham, 1-20.

5. Kalra, E. K. (2003). Nutraceutical-definition and introduction. AAPS Pharmsci, 5(3),

27-28.

6. Liu, B., Jiao, L., Chai, J., Bao, C., Jiang, P., & Li, Y. (2021). Encapsulation and

targeted release. In FoodHydrocolloids (pp. 369-407). Springer, Singapore.

7. Yurdugul, S., & Mozafari, M. R. (2004). Recent advances in micro- and

nanoencapsulation of food ingredients. Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters,

9(S2), 64-65.

8. Orriss, G. D. (1998). Food fortification: Safety and legislation. Food and Nutrition

Bulletin, 19(2), 109-116.

9. Knez, M., & Stangoulis, J. C. (2021). Calcium biofortification of crops - Challenges

and projected benefits. Frontiersin PlantScience, 12: 669053.

10. Cimara, M., Sanchez-Mata, M. C., Fernandez-Ruiz, V., Cimara, R. M., Cebadera, E.,

& Dominguez, L. (2021). A review of the role of micronutrients and bioactive

compounds on immune system supporting to fight against the COVID-19 disease.

Foods, 10(5),1088.

Claims (1)

1. The claims defining the invention described herein are as follows:

   [088] A method of producing encapsulation compositions, being multicomponent with

   plurality of layers. The method comprising:

   preparing a first capsule composition, also referred herein as inner capsule;

   preparing a second capsule composition, also referred herein as outer capsule;

   encapsulating the bioactive ingredient, or more than one bioactive component, into an

   inner capsule; and

   encapsulating or coating the inner capsule composition into / with an outer capsule.

   [089] A claim, according to the previous claim, in which the inner capsule comprising one

   or more of polymers, biopolymers, surfactants, lipids, phospholipids, peptides, proteins,

   carbohydrates, sterols, phytosterols, polyols and alike, as main or auxiliary building blocks.

   [090] The combined concentrations of inner capsule ingredients, in the final encapsulation

   composition, are typically chosen from 0.1% to 40% (w/w). Preferably the said concentration

   would be between 1% to 10%, or between 2% to 5% (w/w).

   [091] In another claim, the outer capsule of the present invention comprising zein, pectin,

   CMC, a basic amino acid such as histidine, lysine, or arginine. It may also be composed of

   hyaluronan, polyethylene glycol, chitosan, a whey protein, Eudraguard or alike and mixtures

   thereof.

   [092] The combined concentrations of outer capsule ingredients, in the final encapsulation

   composition, are typically from 0.1% to 40% (w/w). Preferably the said concentration would

   be between 1% to 10% (w/w), and more preferably between 2% to 5% by weight of said

   encapsulation composition.

   [093] The inner capsule can be encapsulating one or more hydrophilic agents, being

   water-soluble vitamins, minerals, or alike, separately or simultaneously.

   [094] In another claim, the inner capsule can be encapsulating one or more hydrophobic

   agents, being lipid-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids, quercetin, resveratrol, or alike,

   separately or simultaneously.

   [095] The combined overall concentration of bioactive ingredients may be from 10 to

   %, from 12 to 45%, from 14 to 40%, from 16 to 38%, from 18 to 36%, from 20 to 34%,

   from 22 to 32%, or from 24 to 30% by weight of said encapsulation composition.

   [096] The bioactive ingredients listed in a previous claim are encapsulated without using

   toxic solvents (such as chloroform, methanol, or other toxic liquids), and without using

   deleterious, harsh procedures such as high-shear force homogenization or sonication. The

   method herein, is thus safe and can be regarded as environment-friendly, green-technology.

   [097] It is claimed that the aqueous solution used in the preparation of encapsulation

   compositions can be chosen from one or a combination of distilled water, reverse-osmosis

   water, a buffer solution, a saline solution, aqueous mono- or di-saccharide solution,

   polyhydric alcohol, glycerol, and alike.

   [098] It is also claimed fortification of solid and semi-solid food products using the said

   encapsulation compositions.

   [099] According to previous claim, such products can be including, but not limited to,

   biscuits, crackers, muffins, cakes, pasta, noodles, snack bars such as cereal and granola bars,

   nut bars, chocolate bars, milk / dairy bars and fruit bars, yogurt, cheese, salad dressing,

   mayonnaise, butter spread, ice creams, and sauce.

   [0100] It is also claimed that food fortification can be achieved by adding the encapsulation

   composition to the binder, flour, dough, dairy component, or mixtures thereof, of the food

   product.