Encapsulation as a tool for bioprocessing of functional foods

•Microencapsulation is a promising technique to stabilize functional foods.•Encapsulation of probiotics increases its viability through gastrointestinal tract.•The best technique for each functional food still remains a challenge.

There is a growing demand for functional foods. Foods containing plant extracts with antioxidant properties, polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals are the main targets of this consumption trend. However, many of these components are unstable under normal conditions or exhibit a residual taste, limiting their application. Thus, it is necessary to use techniques that can guarantee the stability of these functional constituents and allow their application in diverse food matrices. Various sectors of the food industry have a demand for the enrichment of foods with functional compounds. The major challenge in the use of enriched foods is to obtain stable products and maintain their functional properties during processing and storage until consumption.