Fish oil is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid, vital for the functioning of the human body. But the undesirable flavour is an inherent limitation of fish oil which reduces its acceptability. Masking its fish flavour can increase acceptability of fish oil. The present study was focused on double encapsulation of fish oil to mask its distinct flavour. Fish oil was emulsified using soya lecithin where emulsifier to fat ratio was kept 1:4. The emulsion droplets were in the size range of 172.9 ± 1.7 to 238.2 ± 33.8 nm. The emulsion was mixed with whey protein-sodium alginate solution and converted to beads by dropwise extrusion in calcium chloride solution. Droplets were converted to soft gel beads containing fish oil. The encapsulation efficiency was 89.3%. Fish oil flavour was perceived from the dried beads. Hence, beads were further coated with high melting fat using pan coater and flavoured for making beads palatable to use as an oral supplement. Beads were free-flowing and light yellowish in colour. Beads coated with high melting fat and vanilla flavour scored more in the sensory evaluation by panelists. Beads were kept in airtight pack and stored under refrigeration.
Keywords: Encapsulation; Fish oil; High melting fat; Sodium alginate; Whey protein.