Cold-Pressed Grape Seed Oil Encapsulation Using a Submerged-Nozzle Dispersion Encapsulation Process

Cold-pressed grape seed oil contains many bioactive compounds and its production enables the valorization of grape seeds as a by-product of winemaking. However, the incorporation of oils into food is associated with losses of active compounds and incompatibilities with the complex food matrix. Encapsulation is considered a process that could overcome these obstacles and enable a more diverse use of plant oils in the food sector. In this study, we developed an improved encapsulation process, submerged-nozzle dispersion (SND). SND aims at the encapsulation of active ingredients using highly viscous carrier materials. We used SND for the encapsulation of cold-pressed grape seed oil in alginate. The alginate stabilized the emulsions and provided stable conditions for the formation of encapsulates. The dried encapsulates were in the form of elongated particles with an average width below 150 mu m; the oil content in encapsulates reached above 80% and encapsulation efficiency was up to 90%, depending on the formulation. Encapsulates exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties, suggesting they could mix well with other food ingredients. The SND encapsulation process developed in this study could be successfully applied to the encapsulation and protection of cold-pressed plant oils to be used as a source of valuable nutrients in foods.