Sugar beet pectin: A novel emulsifying wall component for microencapsulation of lipophilic food ingredients by spray-drying

Fish oil rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids was microencapsulated in a matrix of sugar beet pectin and glucose syrup. In two emulsification experiments, composition and homogenisation conditions were optimised for preparation of a stable feed emulsion for spray-drying. The median of the oil droplet size was significantly influenced by the composition of the emulsion as well as homogenisation pressure, but not by the number of passes. With a median of the oil droplet size below 2 μm and a maximum viscosity of 179 mPa s, suitable emulsions could be produced with up to 50% oil and 2.2% sugar beet pectin. Physicochemical parameters like particle morphology, particle size and extractable fat generally reflect a good microencapsulation efficiency and therefore indicate a good oxidative stability. However, the proportion of non-encapsulated fat was higher in samples with 50% oil compared to samples with 20% oil and may limit the maximum oil load of the microcapsules.