Influence of -Carotene Nanoemulsions on Technological Parameters and Stability in Food Matrices

The low solubility of carotenoids is one of the main challenges for the food industry. Nanoemulsions may be a favorable approach for expanding the application of bioactive compounds with hydrophobic capacity such as beta-carotene. The objective of this work was to develop two distinct food matrices (yoghurt and gelato-type ice cream) added with beta-carotene nanoemulsions to determine the influence of nanostructures on technological parameters and product stability. The synthesis of nanoemulsions took place with corn oil and 0.2 mg mL(-1) of beta-carotene by high pressure homogenization. Parameters were evaluated for 28 days of storage. The addition of nanoemulsion increased the gelato yield, by increasing the overrun, without affecting the stability parameters. In yogurt, the nanoemulsions increased the syneresis index and reduced the parameters of firmness, consistency, cohesiveness and viscosity index in the formulation. The nanoemulsions protected the carotenoid during storage, leading to only a slight color variation. The results show that the use of nanoemulsions can improve the dispersion and stability of these compounds in the developed products.