What are the forms and processes of fish oil application？

Some of the problems faced by food products can be solved by choosing the right form of Fish oil addition and process to ensure oxidative stability, flavor, and uniformity of Fish oil distribution in the product. There are usually 3 forms to choose from pure Fish oil, emulsion, and microencapsulation, and I will introduce you to each of these below.

Here is the list of contents：

·Pure Fish oil

·Emulsions

·Micro-encapsulation

Pure Fish oil

The direct addition of pure Fish oil is not very widely used in food and is suitable for some bread, pure oil-based products (such as vegetable oil), and other products that do not require high uniformity of dispersion but have high requirements for raw material quality, oxidative stability, and flavor.

1. The quality of Fish oil raw materials directly determines its value and application. High-quality Fish oil not only requires its physical and chemical indicators such as acidity, color, and peroxide value to meet a specific range but more importantly, the content of contaminants in it is strictly controlled.

2. Fish oils are highly susceptible to oxidation and the challenge is to improve their stability. The common methods to maintain the stability of Fish oil include protection from light, heat, low temperature, vacuum or nitrogen storage, etc. The addition of antioxidants is more effective and can achieve effective chelation of metal ions and scavenging of oxygen radicals.

Emulsions

1. The emulsion form allows Fish oil to be evenly dispersed in aqueous food systems, with oil-in-water Fish oil emulsions being more widely used in food systems than water-in-oil types. Several factors can affect the stability of Fish oil emulsions. For example, the DHA in Fish oil emulsions adopts a highly protective conformation at the interface against oxidative attack by free radicals and metal ions.

2. The emulsification process generally involves a homogenization process, where both homogenization pressure and temperature have an impact on stability. The effect of temperature on the oxidative stability of Fish oil emulsions is more complex. Temperature affects the actual composition of the Fish oil interface and it is generally accepted that higher temperatures will accelerate oxidation, but increasing the homogenization temperature within a certain range can change the protein conformation.

Micro-encapsulation

1. Fish oil microcapsules are powdered Fish oil products made from Fish oil as a core material, which is encapsulated by a specific process using wall materials. This allows the Fish oil to be isolated from the external environment, delaying oxidation, disguising the fishy smell, and greatly improving dispersibility, providing easy access and stable quality raw materials for Fish oil food production.

2. The traditional process of preparing Fish oil microcapsules is mainly emulsification and spray drying. In the preparation process, it is necessary to choose the appropriate wall-to-core ratio and concentration, to ensure that the embedding effect of the premise takes into account the economy. It is also important to note that the larger the particle size of some microcapsules, the more air that may be encapsulated and the more unstable they are. As market demand increases, several new Fish oil microcapsule processing technologies are emerging.

From the above, we know that the three forms of Fish oil addition have their suitable applications and advantages and disadvantages, but basically, they can meet the application needs of different food systems and obtain a product with nutritional value and stability.