Process for preparing microcapsules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12544730-B2
Application number	US-201916981047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2019
Priority date	Jun 21, 2018
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

Described herein is a new process for the preparation of core-shell microcapsules. Also described herein are microcapsules. Also described herein are consumer products including said microcapsules, in particular perfumed consumer products or flavoured consumer products.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A process for preparing a core-shell microcapsule slurry, said process comprising the steps of:
a) dispersing an oil phase comprising a hydrophobic material into an aqueous phase comprising a globular protein to form an oil-in-water emulsion; b) adding an aqueous solution comprising a polysaccharide into the oil-in-water emulsion to form a protein/polysaccharide complex in which at least one part of the polysaccharide is adsorbed onto the protein; and c) applying a sufficient condition to induce the denaturation of the protein and induce an aggregation of the protein/polysaccharides complex to form core-shell microcapsules in the form of a slurry; wherein a mean oil droplet size in the oil-in-water emulsion is between 15 and 500 microns; wherein a crosslinker is optionally added in the mixture obtained in step b) and/or in the mixture obtained in step c); wherein the process results in core-shell microcapsules with only one shell; and wherein the shell of the core-shell microcapsules consists of the protein/polysaccharides complex and optionally a crosslinker.

2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the globular protein is selected from the group consisting of whey protein, beta-lactoglobulin, ovalbumine, bovine serum albumin, vegetable protein, and mixtures thereof.

3 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of pectin, carrageenans, alginate, and mixtures thereof.

4 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the protein is whey protein and the polysaccharide is pectin.

5 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the denaturation of the protein in step c) is induced by a heating step.

6 . The process according to claim 5 , wherein the heating step is carried out at a temperature T den comprised between 5° and 100° C.

7 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the oil phase and the protein is comprised between 1 and 10.

8 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the protein and the polysaccharide is comprised between 1 and 10.

9 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein a calcium solution is further added in the emulsion obtained in step a) and/or in the mixture obtained in step b).

10 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker is added in the mixture obtained in step b) and/or in the mixture obtained in step c).

11 . A microcapsule slurry comprising at least one microcapsule made of:
an oil-based core comprising a hydrophobic material, and a single shell consisting of a protein/polysaccharides complex and optionally a crosslinker.

12 . A composition comprising microcapsules according to claim 11 , wherein the composition is in the form of a perfumed product.

13 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic material is a flavor or a perfume.

14 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is high methoxy pectin.

15 . The process according to claim 5 , wherein the heating step is carried out at a temperature T den comprised between 8° and 100° C.

16 . The process according to claim 10 , wherein the crosslinker is selected from the group consisting of transglutaminase, glutaraldehyde, genipin, and mixtures thereof.

17 . A composition comprising microcapsules as defined in claim 11 , wherein the composition is in the form of a perfumed product selected from the group consisting of body care products and laundry care products, or in the form of a flavored product selected from the group consisting of snacks, dairy products, bakery products, and confectionary.

18 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process consists of the steps of:
a) dispersing an oil phase comprising a hydrophobic material into an aqueous phase comprising a globular protein to form an oil-in-water emulsion; b) adding an aqueous solution comprising a polysaccharide into the oil-in-water emulsion to form a protein/polysaccharide complex in which at least one part of the polysaccharide is adsorbed onto the protein; c) applying a sufficient condition to induce the denaturation of the protein and induce an aggregation of the protein/polysaccharides complex to form core-shell microcapsules in the form of a slurry; and d) optionally drying the slurry obtained in step c).

Assignees

• Firmenich & Cie

Inventors

• Elabbadi Amal
• Erni Philipp
• Jacquemond Marlene

Classifications

• C11D3/505

  encapsulated or adsorbed on a carrier, e.g. zeolite or clay · CPC title

• B01J13/16

  Interfacial polymerisation · CPC title

• A23P10/30

  Encapsulation of particles, e.g. foodstuff additives · CPC title

• A23L27/72

  Encapsulation · CPC title

• B01J13/14

  Polymerisation; cross-linking · CPC title