Abstract

Micronutrients are compounds required only in minute amounts that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances essential for proper growth and development. As tiny as the amounts are, however, the consequences of their absence are severe. Their addition into foods has been practiced by the food industry for years as a cost-effective means of alleviating micronutrient malnutrition. Some common examples of micronutrients that have been added to foods include iron, iodine, calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and D, as well as several B vitamins (Black, 2003). Nutraceuticals are physiologically active components naturally present in foods or added to them as functional ingredients, which have a role in the health and well-being of the population. Examples of nutraceuticals that have been used to develop functional foods include polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and prebiotics (Hasler, 1998). However, there are compounds that can be classified as either a micronutrient or nutraceutical or both. An example is β-carotene, which acts as a provitamin, a Vitamin A precursor and also as an antioxidant. As the ultimate goal is effective use, i.e., bioavailability, of these components by the body, the goal in food fortification is to ensure that they are delivered and released at the proper time and location in the body. The bioavailability of many compounds with poor water solubility or low permeability in the small intestine can be improved by appropriate control of food production and consumption. Therefore, innovative delivery technologies are always in demand for generatingeffective delivery systems that can protect active ingredients, and are able to deliver and release them in a solubleform at an appropriate site in the body. The chapter will focus on the use of microencapsulation techniques for effective delivery of vitamins and minerals through fortified food products, and will discuss the extension of successful technology platforms to the delivery of nutraceuticals in functional food development.