ABSTRACT
The ingestion of viable probiotic cells is associated with various well-documented health benets, generated by providing apositive impact on the ecosystem in the human intestinal tract (Jia et al., 2008; Naidu et al., 1999; Tamime, 2005). Thus, the addition of living probiotic microorganisms to mostly fermented foods is afrequent strategy to meet the increasing demand for healthy “functional foods” (Rodgers, 2008; Stanton et al., 2001). The WHO recommends adescription of probiotics as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate numbers, confer a health benet on the host” (Ross et al., 2005). Therefore, maintenance of the viability and functionality of the probioticsuntil they reach their site of colonization in the human gut is one of the key requirements for an effective application (Mattila-Sandholm et al., 2002; Ross et al., 2005). However, adecline of
13.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 293 13.2 General Requirements Regarding the Microencapsulation of Probiotic Cells.....................294 13.3Methods of Encapsulation and Available Encapsulation Materials ..................................... 295
13.3.1Extrusion Technique .................................................................................................296 13.3.2Emulsion Technique .................................................................................................296 13.3.3 Spray-Drying ............................................................................................................297
13.4Effect of Microencapsulation on Adverse Environmental Conditions ................................. 298 13.4.1Protection during Storage in Food ............................................................................ 298
