ENCAPSULATION
Encapsulation technology is used to make flavours in powder or granule form using various carrying agents. Encapsulation process provides advantages which can vary depending on the technology used. It prolongs shelf life of flavours and forms a protective envelope against adverse ambient conditions. Aromsa's encapsulated flavours add a distinction to food products and provide benefits to the food industry. Encapsulation process in general;
- Converts liquid flavours into powder form. Thus, it becomes easier to incorporate flavours into food mixtures in powder form.
- Protects sensitive flavour molecules against environmental effects; for example, slows down oxidation.
- Provides convenience in storage.
- Enables a longer shelf life for flavours.
- Prevents undesirable interactions between food ingredients and flavour molecules.
- Allows controlled release. In other words, ensures release of flavours at the right time and as intended.
- Allows control of some physical properties such as size and shape. Thus, particles at the desired shape and size can be obtained.
- Granule flavours and microcapsules in different colours improve the look of a product.
Encapsulation can be done using different technologies. Each technology offers solutions and advantages as well as specific limitations.
At Aromsa, encapsulation is done by our expert teams in our facilities equipped with the most advanced technologies. We offer the best encapsulated flavours which meet the needs and expectations for new products of our business partners.
Some of our products we have developed for different sectors are as following:
- Flavours encapsulated in a dense, glassy structure
- Microcapsules filled with liquid flavours
- Powder or agglomerated products containing real honey
- Rapidly soluble particules containing fruit concentrates
- Flavoured rapidly soluble fruit acids
- High concentration Menthol powder
- Granule flavours with delayed release
At Aromsa, we have pilot production facility where the development process of encapsulated flavours is realized. This facility is equipped with modern systems for laboratory and pilot scale trials. After checking product conformity and performing all necessary analyses, we offer our products to our business partners. This facility is also open to our business partners who wish to develop a new product through a joint project with us.
Characterization of raw materials and products is done in our analysis laboratory. This laboratory is equipped with devices used for characterization of physical, rheological and thermal properties.
At Aromsa we continue at full force to develop new encapsulated flavours which will help our customers differentiate their products in the competitive market.
Spray Drying
Spray drying is the most commonly used microencapsulation technique in the flavour industry. Flavoured mixtures in small droplets sprayed with specially designed nozzles into hot air leave the drier as powder particules. Carriers that are used alone or as a mixture are chosen based on characteristics of each flavour. Carriers which form a shell around droplets during drying act almost like a selective membrane; while they allow evaporation of water, they ensure that flavour molecules are enclosed in a solid structure.
At Aromsa, we have a flexible production system with our multiple spray drying lines to meet small and large orders of our business partners. In addition to our powder flavours for a wide range of sectors and applications, we also offer fruit powders with genuine concentrates or pureés and honey powders containing natural.
Extrusion - Camarom®
Extrusion process developed for flavour encapsulation consists of adding minimal amounts of water to carrier powders while heating and kneading it to obtain a molten mass. Our customer-specific flavours are then incorporated into this molten mass. An important characteristic of this process is that it allows us to have control and flexibility on shape and size within certain limitations. Additionally, granules in chosen colours add a positive visual effect to the products they are used.
At Aromsa, we produce flavour granules in different shapes and sizes for many product groups including tea bags, crackers, instant soups, chewing gums, and confections. There are regular and sugar-free versions of extruded flavours. Our extruded flavours have a long shelf-life due to their dense structure and low moisture content.
Microcapsule - Kapsarom®
Different from other encapsulation technologies, flavours produced with this method has a core-shell structure. While the core contains a liquid flavour mixture, the shell protecting the core is made of biopolymers. As the shell is thin, microcapsules contain a high percentage of liquid flavours. When microcapsules with homogenous dimensions are exposed to a mechanical force, for example in chewing, they break to release its liquid flavour. Thus, liquid flavour molecules are protected from adverse ambient conditions until they are released and do not interact with food ingredients. Microcapsules in colours give an extra visual attractiveness to products.
At Aromsa, we give superior qualities to many products including chewing gums, chocolate, toffee, marshmallow and Turkish delight with our Kapsarom® microcapsules.
Agglomeration-Granulation-Coating
One of the technologies used for agglomeration is fluidized bed technology. In agglomeration process, fine powder particles are subject to humidification and drying cycles to ensure that they grow bigger by bonding. Agglomerated products made by this technology generally have a loose structure. When they are added to water, they rapidly get wet and dissolve. For example, agglomeration of fruit powders under specific conditions makes it easy to use them in tea bags.
Another size enlargement process with fluidized bed technology is granulation. In this process, a solution is sprayed on powder particles and each particle grows as thin layers of solid material is added onto its surface. With this process typically round, less porous products with a close texture is obtained. This type of products dissolves slowly in water.
Another process in the fluidized bed technology is coating. For example, the surface of a fruit acid crystal is coated with a lipid material to change their dissolution characteristics. Similarly, water-soluble flavour granules become water resistant once they are coated with lipids. In other words, original release characteristics of products can be altered using this technique.