Food
Encapsulation technologies offer multiple advantages to the food industry:
- Adaptation of the ingredients to food matrixes to obtain functional foods with advanced properties (milks, bakery products, probiotics)
- New functional ingredients with higher absorption and enhanced bioavailability (as for example bread with microencapsulated iron)
Pharmaceutical and cosmetic
At AINIA, we have the latest advances in microencapsulation solutions for cosmetic products such as the combination of different technologies (atomization, gelation, SCF, liposomal,…) as well as the possibilities of different coating materials, considering factors such as odour masking, efficiency and improvement of the shelf life of ingredients.
In addition, we are experts in conducting ad hoc efficacy studies in cellular models. That is, the use of cell culture and tissue engineering techniques to study the efficacy of different bioactive ingredients (antioxidants, whiteners or anti-inflammatories).
We work on ingredients for cosmetic formulations with a doble microencapsulation system in which we have combined our experience in biotechnology and microencapsulation, to develop, for example, a cosmetic ingredient based on a living probiotic, Lactobacillus.
The main applications of microencapsulation for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries are:
- Development of ingredients for more natural cosmetic and pharma products.
- Improvement of properties such as taste, colour, stability and/or consistency (masking of strong odours of some vitamins…)
- Actives with higher absorption and bioavailability
To achieve more natural products with advanced functionalities, innovation is based on microencapsulation technologies and, on clean and selective extraction processes, such as supercritical extraction, or the fermentative processes for the production of targeted functional biomolecules.
Agriculture
The European Green Deal’s mean objective is to promote the efficient use of resources through a clean and circular economy. One of the work lines is the “farm to fork” strategy, which aims to “ensure safe and nutritious food and feed, a high level of health and wellbeing of animals and plants and a clear information about the origin, content, labelling and use of food”.
Among the steps to consider to achieve the 50% reduction in the use of agricultural pesticides by 2030. Moreover, it also aims to reduce the use of fertilizers by 20% by the same year. Obtaining biofertilizers, natural pesticides, elicitors and agricultural biocontrol agents is the more interesting solution offered by microencapsulation to the agricultural sector.
Through microencapsulation, biofertilizers and control agents can be tuned for controlled and extended release considering the properties of the medium in which they are applied.
Packaging
In the packaging sector, microencapsulation technologies are very useful for the development of actives, intelligent and functional packaging with improved mechanical and antimicrobial properties.
We envourage you to read the results of PHBOTTLE project where we made the first prototype of an active bio-packaging, using sugars from the wastewater of juice industries. Specifically, we developed antioxidant microcapsules with antioxidants, that were added to the plastic material (PHB), and used to manufacture an active packaging. This improved packaging reduced the oxidation of the internal juice.
