Topic 2: New foods – Fostering innovations in food design, processing and supply via demand-and-supply reorientation
Our research group has extensive experience in the formulation, production, and characterization of lipid-based microparticles for the encapsulation of food ingredients, ranging from small molecules to biomacromolecules.
Microencapsulation is an advanced food processing technology designed to protect sensitive compounds that may rapidly degrade in both food matrices and the gastrointestinal tract. This technique is often essential for incorporating these compounds into health-promoting foods and nutraceuticals. Given its importance, lipid-based particulate formulations using natural and edible ingredients are projected to grow exponentially.
In this area, we have successfully developed formulations using solvent-free processes (e.g., spray chilling) to encapsulate a diverse range of food bioactives, including solid (ascorbic acid) and liquid (tocopherol) vitamins, plant extracts, enzymes, and probiotics. Additionally, we have extensive expertise in evaluating the oral bioavailability of active compounds.
Currently, we are focused on advancing microencapsulation processes for novel food ingredients, aiming to achieve high loading efficiency and improved bioavailability.
As partners, we will concentrate on the development of lipid-based formulations and conduct in-depth structural characterization using calorimetric, imaging, spectroscopic, and diffraction-based techniques.
The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and is considered to be the oldest university in Western Europe. Nowadays, it is one of the most important higher education institutions across Europe. The University of Bologna engages in competitive research both nationally and internationally. In the new European framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe, 92 projects have already been approved, 16 of which are coordinated by the University of Bologna. Horizon 2020, the EU funding programme for research and innovation, has funded over 350 projects, 98 of which coordinated by the University of Bologna, for a total amount of over 150 million euros. The number of partners involved totalled more than 3,000, of which more than 1,600 private.
