Cheese fortification using water-in-oil-in-water double emulsions as carrier for water soluble nutrients

Encapsulation of vitamin B-12 in water-in-oil-in-water double emulsions was optimized to produce functional cream for cheese milk standardization. The effect of encapsulation on vitamin B-12 release during in vitro gastric digestion and on retention during cheese making was determined. Primary water-in-oil emulsions were prepared from vitamin B-12 (0.2%, w/v) solution and butter oil containing 8% ( w/w) polyglycerol polyricinoleate, and dispersed in skim milk or sodium caseinate solution using a dispersing tool or a valve homogenizer. Encapsulation of vitamin B-12 in double emulsions exhibited greater than 96% efficiency and prevented vitamin losses during in vitro gastric digestion. Less than 5% of the encapsulated vitamin B-12 was released from double emulsion stabilized with sodium caseinate. Compared with non-encapsulated vitamin B-12, encapsulation in double emulsions reduced vitamin B-12 losses in whey and increased retention in cheese from 6.3 to more than 90%. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.