Micelles and microemulsions as food ingredient and nutraceutical delivery systems

Microemulsions are considered excellent delivery vehicles for bioactives, food additives and food supplements. They offer the advantages of spontaneous formation, ease of manufacture, thermodynamic stability, very low viscosity and Newtonian properties, full transparency (clear solutions) and improved solubilization capacities of bioactive materials. This chapter explores some of the new trends in microemulsion research, including many carried out in our lab, through analysis of some representative studies. The solubilization of different food additives such as flavoring agents, aromas, antioxidants, and colorants, as well as peptides and nutraceuticals, in various microemulsion compositions and microstructures are reviewed.