Protection and Delivery of Probiotics for Use in Foods

Sound and scientifically proven evidence of the health-promoting activity of probiotic bacteria is dependent not only on a robust probiotic strain but also on a quality product that retains its effective probiotic activity at the time of consumption and during passage through the digestive tract of the host. Several microencapsulation and packaging technologies suitable for probiotics have effectively demonstrated a significant protection during the industrial process, shelf storage, and gastric passage. An effective microencapsulation system for probiotics must be gentle enough so as not to damage the live cells, to offer extended shelf storage life, and to provide good protection from acid. Typically, probiotic bacteria are entrapped in a complex of polymer matrices of naturally occurring polysaccharides, fats, and proteins, which are non-toxic and safely biodegraded; and their processing does not require the use of organic solvents. Often, the encapsulation of probiotics is the only viable solution to bring high-quality probiotic products and consistency to the market.