Applications of Nanoemulsions in Foods

The current use of nanoemulsions in food products is rather limited, but these colloidal systems hold considerable potential for application in several areas, mainly related to the development of novel functionalities. In particular, the delivery of functional compounds, such as bioactive molecules, micronutrients, colorants, flavorings, or antimicrobial agents, into food and beverage products that naturally do not contain them is highly desired to increase product value by enhancing health benefits, nutritive profile, appearance, aroma, or shelf life. Oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions are simple but effective delivery systems, which can be formulated using natural or naturally derived ingredients and produced using high-throughput operating procedures that are easily scalable. The composition and structure of these nanoemulsions can be carefully controlled to provide the required in-product protection and the desired in-body behavior. In addition, the ability of nanoemulsions to form gels can be exploited in functional food design, where nanoemulsion gels become a constitutive part of the food. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.