Emerging applications of microfluidization in the food industry

Abstract

In recent times, microfluidization has emerged as a novel processing technology. With meticulously designed interaction chamber and high-performing pump, unique pressure profiles are generated which perform cavitation, and develop shear, velocity, and turbulence. Primarily evolved as a homogenization technique, it provides significantly lower droplet size and narrow size distribution compared to other high-energy techniques such as high-pressure homogenization and ultrasonication. However, it is susceptible to over-processing, resulting in reduced stability of emulsions. Therefore, careful optimization of processing conditions is a crucial step. The present work discusses the applications of microfluidization in this aspect and comparison with the aforementioned techniques. Furthermore, microfluidization finds successful applications in the field of encapsulation, extraction, and modification of biological molecules. These aspects are also discussed with their advantages and limitations. To conclude, the challenges in the industrial scale-up of microfluidization are discussed in detail. Overall, microfluidization holds tremendous potential for several applications in the food industry.

Keywords

• Microfluidization
• Dynamic high-pressure microfluidization
• Macromolecule modification
• Homogenization
• Emulsification
• Phase separation