ABSTRACT
Nanoemulsions are kinetically stable colloidal systems with a droplet size of 20–200 nm. They have potential application in the food industry, but current use is quite limited. Nanoemulsion technology can be used in food industry for various applications including delivery of micronutrients, bioactive food components like resveratrol, lycopene, tannins, lignan, indoles, etc. Further applications include, delivery of flavoring agents, coloring agents, antimicrobial agents into food products and drinks to enhance the nutritive benefits and appearance. Different oil soluble and fat-soluble ingredients can be incorporated effectively by the use of o/w or w/o or multiple types of nanoemulsions. Another potential application of this technology is to increase the shelf life of the food product. High energy as well as low energy techniques are available for the production of food grade nanoemulsions with sufficient shelf life. In this chapter we review the application of nanoemulsions technology in food processing, in terms of enhancing the bioavailability as well as product characteristics in terms of aroma, color, and appearance. The chapter reviews various investigations in food industry which make use of nanoemulsion technology for superior product performance.
