Digestion of microencapsulated oil powders: in vitro lipolysis and in vivo absorption from a food matrix.

Microencapsulation provides a vehicle for the incorporation of fats and oils into powders that can be used as dry ingredients in an expanded variety of food products. Microencapsulated omega-3 oils in particular are commonly incorporated into a variety of foods and numerous in vitro studies have examined the impact of individual microencapsulation technologies on the simulated digestibility of the oil core. We have exposed twelve microencapsulated canola oil-in-water emulsions, formulated with different proteins (milk or soy) or mixtures of protein and carbohydrates (sugars, oligosaccharides, resistant starch) and processed into powders by spray drying, to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids in vitro.