Product Design and Process Engineering using the Example of Flavors

Recently, formulation processes have become increasingly important in the product design of flavors. Traditionally, the focus of flavorists and the chemists that support them has mostly been on the chemical composition of the flavors, which are generally in liquid form, although product characteristics that can be influenced by process engineering, e.g., shelf life and controlled release, are currently been seen to be just as important. An exact knowledge of the physico-chemical properties of the flavor and carrier materials is important if process engineering measures are to be used to influence product properties. This review article discusses recent progress in microencapsulation of flavors and presents a detailed discussion of the topic using the processes of spray drying, spray granulation, extrusion and multi-material nozzles as examples.