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Nanoemulsions in Foods - Patent and Technology Report - Key Players, Innovators and Industry Analysis
Dolcera, Nov 2011, Pages: 60
With rapid technological advances, studies in the field of food processing have been extended from micro to nano-sized (10-9 m) particles. Food nanotechnology is rapidly emerging with several innovations in food packaging and nutraceuticals. Nano-emulsions are now being increasingly used for encapsulating bio active compounds and act as transport vehicles in functional foods and probiotic health foods.
In general, Nano-encapsulation involves the incorporation, absorption or dispersion of bioactive compounds in small vesicles with nano (or submicron) diameters. The incorporated bioactive compounds may be protected against degradation, have improved stability and solubility (e.g., solubilizing a hydrophilic compound in hydrophobic matrices and vice versa) and therefore might increase bioavailability and delivery to cells and tissues [Bouwmeester et al., 2009]
This report focuses on finding the key innovators and the industry ecosystem through relevant patents, clinical trials and university data encompassing the research in the fast-growing area of Nano-emulsions in foods. Dolcera has a standardized and tested procedure to formulate comprehensive patent search strategies to retrieve all the relevant patents. The report highlights year-wise patent activity (trend line) along with the key industrial players in the field. The different companies have been categorized based on their position in the value chain. A comprehensible result in the form of the Dolcera dashboard has been given. The dashboard links the companies in each category to their patents, hence making an interactive platform for analysis. Companies have also been segregated based on their geographical distribution. Dolcera has retrieved close to 400 relevant patents related to Nano-emulsions in foods, covering around 17 countries. Furthermore, patents have been mapped to commercially available products produced by the respective assignees and other licensees. The report also highlights different Universities and Research Institutes active in the research of the said technology area, hence pointing out industry opportunities.
Nanoemulsions
Emulsion is a system in which one liquid made of a fine particle is dispersed in another liquid, ex- oil dispersed in water (O/W emulsion). The emulsions are highly unstable and encounter problems like flocculation, creaming and coalescence. Though micro-emulsions have found a vast application in food processing, in recent years nano-emulsions are emerging out with better advantages when compared to micro-emulsions, as described below:
- Size of the particle – 5 to 100 nm
- Thermodynamically stable
- Transparent emulsions- suitable for transparent foodstuffs like beverages
- Continuous self-assembly with hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions to maintain stable emulsion state
- Uncharged particles – no surface coalescence
- Very small size – no sedimentation or creaming
- Increased stability- increased bio availability [Kim et al., 2010]
In general, Nano-encapsulation involves the incorporation, absorption or dispersion of bioactive compounds in small vesicles with nano (or submicron) diameters. The incorporated bioactive compounds may be protected against degradation, have improved stability and solubility (e.g., solubilizing a hydrophilic compound in hydrophobic matrices and vice versa) and therefore might increase bioavailability and delivery to cells and tissues. Reducing the size of encapsulates into the nanoscale offers opportunities related to prolonged gastrointestinal retention time caused by bio-adhesive improvements in the mucus covering the intestinal epithelium [Bouwmeester et al., 2009]
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