Delivery systems for omega-3 oils

Research during the last four decades has demonstrated that oils rich in the highly polyunsaturated marine omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, have several health benefits. The positive health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids have led to increased use of omega-3 oils for functional foods. However, due to their polyunsaturated nature, omega-3 oils are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation, which decreases their nutritional value, gives rise to off-flavors, and leads to the formation of toxic aldehydes during food enrichment and digestion. Development of delivery systems, which allows food fortification with omega-3 PUFAs is a possible strategy to reduce lipid oxidation. This presentation will discuss different types of delivery systems including low and high fat emulsions and micro-encapsulated fish oil using different encapsulation techniques such as spray drying and electro spraying. It will be discussed how different emulsifiers and encapsulating materials will affect the oxidative stability of the delivery emulsion.